Thanks to the reader who tipped me off about the chimp attack in North Stamford. Here's what sounds funny (from msnbc.com article): A pet chimpanzee - who had appeared in TV commercials and shows - got loose at a home at 241 Rock Rimmon Road in Stamford Monday afternoon, according to Stamford police. And it was not his first time.
Here's why it's actually sad: The 175-pound animal attacked its owner's friend, leaving the victim with severe facial injuries. She was taken to Stamford Hospital. Police do not expect the person to live.
I mean, that's just awful.
The chimp ended up dead- stabbed, then shot: The Stamford Advocate reports the primate's owner called 911 and then tried to stop the attack by stabbing the chimp with a butcher knife. An officer shot and killed the animal when it tried to get into his police cruiser, said police. The animal was reportedly named Travis and had issues in the past. On October 19, 2003, Travis escaped from his owner's SUV and went running through the streets. More than a dozen police officers chased around after him at the time.
I feel bad for the chimp, too. The poor thing was clearly crazy, right? He sounds like he should not have been around people.
Here's why this chimp was special: In a newspaper article at the time, police said the chimp, then 10, was toilet trained. He reportedly dressed himself, ate at the table and drank wine. He could use a computer and remote control. He starred in Old Navy and Coca-Cola commercials and even appeared on the Maury Povich Show...
Even though chimps are a lot like us, they are still animals. It seems like that got forgotten. I'm looking forward to learning more, because I don't want to blame the owner without having all the facts. And I bet that chimp's owner feels really terrible right now. I feel so, so bad for the woman who got attacked.
You can read more, and see pics, in the Stamford Advocate article about it. There is supposed to be a press conference going on right now about it (8pm Monday), so I'm sure more disturbing details will emerge.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Seems Funny But Is Actually Sad: Stamford Chimp Attack
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5 comments:
Channel 12 had this artist's rendition of it just before the attack.
http://tinyurl.com/acnong
He chewed her hands off:
http://www.wfsb.com/news/18726175/detail.html
The 911 audio tape sounds suspicious.
This appears more like an attempted homicide.
The weapon of choice - a chimp.
Find the motive and get the evidence.
I don't know if it's a homocide, but there's definitely criminal liability in my opinion. This thing was unaccounted for at several points during the ordeal. It kept coming back home, but it could have ended up at a playground or school (don't know if there are any of these around the home). What if this thing had gotten its hands on a child? Even if keeping the animal was "legal" animal, as apparently it was in this case, the owner bears responsibility for keeping something so inherently dangerous. Every chimp expert they've interviewed said this was totally predictable. It's like what Chris Rock said when that tiger attacked Sigfreid & Roy: "that tiger didn't go crazy; that tiger went tiger." 70 years old or not, this lady should be locked up.
heres my post on it:
http://www.ripcoco.com/2009/02/dispaches-from-planet-of-apes.html
this was right up the street from me and I know the first responders....
Its a tragedy and a crime that this woman was allowed to keep this animal after he proved to be erratic.
The city must take some responsibility for this. Why was he not in a zoo enclosure. If you follow my link to Jane Goodall's site you will see that older chimps cant be kept and that a human house is not suitable for them in any case.
Yes, her hands, scalp, face...if she lives shes gonna wish she didnt...its really, really bad.
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