Travis the Chimp— Exotic pet turns killer
76People have easy access to an amazingly diverse and dangerous array of animals who are supremely unsuited to life as a pet. - Richard Farinato
"The more we learn of the true nature of non-human animals, especially
those with complex brains and corresponding complex social behavior,
the more ethical concerns are raised regarding their use in the service
of man -- whether this be in entertainment, as pets, for food, in
research laboratories, or any of the other uses to which we subject
them." - Jane Goodall
Everyone is weighing in on why Travis the chimpanzee went on a rampage and attacked his owner’s friend and neighbor, Charla Nash, without provocation. Charla’s injuries were so severe she was in critical condition and her face was almost ripped off after the 200 lb chimp suddenly attacked her. Who would have thought Travis, a chimp who had once starred in television commercials for Coca-Cola, surfed the internet, drank wine from a wineglass, sat at the dining table, and brushed his teeth, would become homicidal?
Was it the Xanax?
Apparently, the chimp was at home with his owner, 70 yr. old Sandra Herold, when he became suddenly agitated. Sandra Herold put Xanax in Travis’ tea to help calm him, but the drug was not effective and the agitated animal proceeded to use the key to unlock the kitchen door and let himself outside. He then began banging on the car doors to indicate he wanted to go for a ride. That is when Herold called her friend, 55-year old Charla Nash, to help get Travis back in the house.
As soon as Charla Nash arrived, the Chimp went crazy, overpowered her, and mauled her. Sandra grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and stabbed Travis a number of times, finally managing to wrestle the animal off of her friend, and then she called 911. The horrific scene ended with Sandra Herold screaming at police to shoot the chimpanzee who had just ripped apart her friend.
Where they Belong
Oprah Winfrey interviews victim, Charla Nash
While animal experts are trying to determine why the chimpanzee suddenly and without provocation attacked a person, experts generally agree, exotic pets are like loaded guns that can go off at any time in unpredictable ways. Does it really matter if it was the Xanax that set the animal off when the focus needs to be on the dangers of buying exotic pets? Chimps are strong and aggressive animals, and Sandra was warned of potential dangers, but like many exotic pet owners, she chose to ignore the advice of experts, and brought this animal into her life.
While the horrific incident made news when it occurred in February, 2009, Oprah Winfrey recently interviewed Charla Nash, bringing attention back to the story. One part of the story centers on the amazing positivity and strength of Charla Nash, a true survivor who is now disfigured, has lost her hands, and is blind. I missed the Oprah show that was viewed by 7.4 million Americans who listened as Oprah heard from this woman who still can’t remember her attack and had to be told of the event when she awoke from a coma.
Charla Nash opened her interview saying exotic pets are dangerous, and, I hope her message raises awareness across the world on this issue. Oprah Winfrey was deeply moved by Charla’s courage, “I will have to say, I’ve never seen anything quite like what’s happened to her, and also never felt a spirit like that— that has such resolve to get better and such a sense of resilience. It really made me think that I’ll never complain about another thing ever again.”
The other part of this story is a look at the exotic pet industry—those who support it, profit from it, and those who pay the price.
Who Profits from Exotic Pets?
Every year, animals are captured from their native habitats and transferred under horrific conditions to various countries to be sold as pets. There are also surplus animals from zoos or their offspring that end up on the exotic pet market, and backyard breeders continue to contribute to this growing industry.
Unfortunately, anyone can obtain an exotic pet, and over 1,000 internet sites provide advice on where to buy and how to care for these animals. Sellers of these animals seem oblivious not only to the dangers these animals pose to owners and society, but to the local and state laws that regulate the industry. This is all about the bottom line—profit—without concern for the suffering of animals at the hands of unqualified buyers or the tragedies that result from their transactions.
Who Pays the Price?
Charla Nash is just one casualty of the exotic pet industry among numerous reported cases of attacks and injuries. Exotic animals pose serious health risks to humans. Many are carriers of zoonotic diseases, such as Herpes B, Monkey Pox, and Salmonellosis, all of which are communicable to humans.
Many cases have been reported of exotic animals escaping from their owners and attacking humans and other animals. Children and adults have been mauled by tigers, bitten by monkeys, and asphyxiated by snakes. Even though an exotic pet may seem tame and friendly to humans, their behavior can quickly change—they are time bombs waiting to explode. This is because they are not domestic animals who have been bred for centuries to live and work with humans. They are born to express their natural behaviors, such as, roaming in large, natural habitats and interacting with others of their species. In captivity they are forced into unnatural and stressful environments, often living in small cages, where they become dangerous to the people who possess them. These animals pay a terrible price for human greed, ignorance, and disrespect of natural law.
Selling Exotic Pets
The sale and possession of exotic animals is regulated by a patchwork of federal, state and local laws that generally vary by community and by animal. Individuals possessing exotic animals must be in compliance with all federal laws as well as any state, city, and county laws. However, just because it’s legal, does not make it right.
You have to do lots of digging to get clear on what is legal and what is not in your area, and my point is to dissuade anyone who is considering buying an exotic pet.
With so many wonderful dogs, cats, and other domestic animals needing homes, it is unconscionable to participate in an industry that is so dangerous to society and so cruel to the animals it claims to care for. Thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized each year because no one adopts them while people choose to spend thousands of dollars on animals that should be left in their natural environment.
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I did see the interview on the Oprah Winfrey show and it was very powerful. Charla has such a strong and positive attitude.
You bring up some good points here in this article. Why can we not let the species with whom we share our planet alone to live in dignity? We do them no service in trying to make them into little replicas of ourselves, and forgetting their natures.
There is a big difference between an animal who has been selectively bred for thousands of years and has become a man-made creature not a natural one, and those plucked from their natural environment for our amusement. Here in Florida, there are two species brought into the state as pets that now plague the natural ecosystem -- iguanas and constrictor snakes.
We don't know what harm we do to these creatures, to our environment and to ourselves, until it is too late.
I remember the story very well here in NYC. But the very same people who condemned this woman for having this wild animal had no problem being entertained by the same animal - for years. They knew of his existence and it wasn't an issue.
Even this best friend, Charla, was a regular visitor and had no qualms about rushing to the aid of her friend when the chimp went wild. To do what?
There is too much of a tendency in our culture to be reactive - disaster strikes and we are outraged. But being proactive? - avoiding disaster? We make no effort at all.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention again.
One of my childhood friends had a fascination with snakes. While he was out hunting he came upon a Coyote Kit. Not wanting to leave it to die, he brought it home to raise as a pet, figuring that since it was newborn it would acclimate to the new environment. He grew much bigger than a normal Coyote, probably because of better and more regular meals. When the Coyote was about 2 years-old, the neighbors standard size poodle came into heat. The Coyote seemed definitely interested. Then one morning when my friend went out to the back yard, he discovered that the Coyote had jumped the fence and had killed and partially eaten the poodle.
OMG, I did not know all details of this story.
200 lb chimp is certainly not "pet"...especially if he drinks wine and is on Xanax... He just cannot be reliable ...he was supposed to live in natural world... Thanks for sharing it.
Excellent article.
Thanks everyone for your comments!
BKCreative you make an excellent point - when people encourage friends to take in these animals, they become part of the problem!
Papajack, thanks for the story - it underscores the importance of not messing with these animals!
lmmartin, the situation in Florida is horrible - these reptiles are wreaking havoc in the environment - very bad news!
More anthropocentric stupidity. At times I think things would be better for all concerned if Homo sapiens quickly went the way of the dinosaurs. Then again, there are times when I believe we are destined to be a source of light in the universe. Go figure. It's extremely frustrating.
CWB, I am so with you on this - will we destroy the world or are we going to bring in the light!? And, anthropocentric is what is going on - why do we want to make everything in our image?
We will NOT destroy the world. That's another anthropocentricity. We may very likely destroy ourselves, in which case the world will carry on with utter indifference.
We are certainly capable of becoming light bearers. If we survive long enough, I believe we will.
To answer your last question, because we arrogantly believe that we are the chosen of an imaginary, anthropomorphic god, which we created in our image, so we could claim he created us in his image, proving that we are his chosen. It's as clear as mud!
I don't mean to offend those who choose theism. It's just that it has caused so much conflict and death throughout history. It's not so much the belief that has brought such misery, but the conviction that only one belief must be embraced by all. If there must be one paramount belief to cling to, why can't it be something like "love thy neighbor as thyself"?
powerful hub, kartika. as usual, well researched.
it's a pity that we feel the need to make wild animals our "pets" when the majority of parents can't raise a child according to societal standards and the majority of dog owners shouldn't be in possession of dogs. ms. herold is a prime example of what i refer to.
Thanks blue dog! I've always seen it that way - you make a great point - people who couldn't take care of a house cat are getting tigers! It looks like we're both up a wee bit early in the morning for a look at hubpages! lol!
When I saw just how bad this was (genuinely sorry I looked at pics - what a brave woman) I looked on the Internet. All wild animals should be left in the wild or at least in the care of professionals, not amaterus who want an interesting trophy pet. There is something very very wrong with these captive chimps. They are reasonabl intelligent and when they do attack it is like they go out of their way to maim and destroy the faces of the victims, instead of killing them. That sounds like putting a lot of intention in the mind of an animal but there are other horrific stories about mutilated faces.
Kartika, I'm not gonna comment on the incident, too many wrongs involved. Just a few things though. I think that you are a bit generalistic on your comments about the exotic pet trade. If I didn't know better, I would now think that all pet shops grab these animals from the wild and sell them to us unsuspecting lot. Not so, what you refer to there is the illegal trade, alive and well in every country, some of whose governments are involved. A very big, multi-billion dollar industry that is being fought by one main thing. The legal trade in wildlife. Having an exotic pet at home is not so much the problem as it is the idiot that bought them. I have ferrets, tortoises, lizards, snakes, insects, rats, a bird and a chameleon at home. These guys, without a shadow of a doubt, have the best home imaginable. I think that this is better than having a dog or a cat. 1)I get to learn natural animal behaviour in my own home while the animals run around and do what they want. This helps me in my work as well. 2)None of them go out and cause damage to the natural environment, something that cats are famous for. 3)They are all well bred, captive bred animals. Dogs and cats are so inbred nowadays to MAKE the animals that we want, which is why there are such massive deformities in them.
There are certainly a lot of idiots out there that should not be allowed to be anywhere near any animals, but you can't knock a wildlife trade that works very hard to keep wildlife going where it is meant to be.
dohn 121, you don't like zoo's when it comes to trapping and taming animals? Sorry mate, with all due respect, but I don't think you know the first thing about zoo's and what they do for wildlife projects around the world. There is a huge amount of money being spent worldwide by zoo's to get species back to the wild, to educate the naive public about wildlife, to implicate breeding projects, scientific research etc.
Cold War Baby, there is a possible movement now to incorporate religous groups around the world as, together, they own more wildlife land than anyone else. We need them on the conservation side. I think your last comment about love thy neighbour was christian based, wasn't it? Pretty much as are the laws by which we have to abide by everyday. We're animals, but I can't kill my friend for checking out my girlfriend. Gee, I thought that was inter-species competition. We can't keep thinking ourselves as the same as animals, or vice-versa, its the reason why we can't seem to save anything. Its the reason why these people above-mentioned take home a chimp and stick a nappy on it.
truly-julie, they go for the face because thats where the eyes are. Eye contact is seen as a threat and they will attack as a result. They don't go out of their way to maim and attack you. This is a highly organised pack hunting animal, capable of thinking through hunts in much the same way as a pride of lions. Our 'purpose-bred' animals (dogs) have attacked and maimed many a person. Why? Because no matter how much we mess with them, gene wise, they still maintain a basic animal instinct. A dog is a pack hunting animal. If you treat him as an equal, he will try to take control, to be leader of their pack. You need to maintain a discipline, and I don't mean hitting and kicking. Its about body language, whether you let that animal get away with things like eating or begging from a table, do you let him win a tug of war game? Do you let him lick your face. Thats not love he is showing you, he's begging for food.
I hope some of this helps, don't want to start a blog war on this kind of subject.
Hi Great Uncle Bill, I appreciate your comments and actually agree with you on some things. First, there are many wonderful zoo's involved in conservation and they are taking amazing care of animals and are providing them an excellent environment. It sounds like you are doing a good job caring for your pets. However, I do believe taking on lions, chimps, wolves, and other such exotics is wrong and dangerous for the reasons I stated in my hub. I have had a number of cats and they are not inbred. They have been a joy - healthy, balanced, and domesticated. I have never even been scratched by a cat in 35 years of cat ownership. I would not take in a mature feral cat because they have not been socialized. My dog is a chow mix and is loving and has never been aggressive. I got him at a year old, and trained him to be the best companion anyone could want. He is well mannered, never begs for food, and has never caused me problems - he is 13 and perfectly healthy. Cats and dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years and while there will always be breeders and owners who create problem animals, you can't compare a dog to a wolf, or a cat to a lion. That said, thanks for your comments! Kartika
I recall a similar story about 2 years ago where a man and his wife brought a birthday cake into a chimp rescue area to share with their former pet - a chimp. The other chimps became jealous (not invited to the party) and tore the face off the gentleman. People seem to have no idea how dangerous full grown male chimps can be and stories like this will serve to alert folks of the potential for trouble.
Dolores, that is pretty brutal and people need to get how absolutely dangerous these animals can be. Thanks for sharing this story! It's always good to hear from you!
dohn121 Level 2 Commenter 2 years ago
I'm not even going to look at Charla Nash right now, Kartika. I agree that exotic pets are not pets at all. Could you imagine if a Gorilla adopted you into his family? How would YOU feel? I don't even like zoos when it comes to trapping and taming animals. It's a farce that is unnatural and unsound. Thanks so much for sharing this amazing hub. My heart goes out to Charla who is a victim of circumstance.