![]() He was taken from his mother, Suzy, when he was three days old and sold to Jerome and Sandra Herold for $50,000.Īfter Jerome lost his battle to cancer, and after the couple’s only child was killed in a car accident, Sandra began pampering the chimp like it was her child. Travis The Chimp was born at the Missouri Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Festus on October 21, 1995. “And now that the sun is coming out, I can feel the sun. “I hear the birds singing,” she said at the time. His nose and mouth were ripped off, an eye was gouged out, his left foot was mangled and most of his fingers and buttocks were devoured.After surviving the horrific ordeal, Nash appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in November the same year to discuss the attack, her experimental facial surgery and her future.Īnd in 2016, Nash spoke to MSNNBC’s Today programme after her body began to reject her face transplant, after doctors tried to wean her off anti-rejection drugs. James Davis, survived an attack from two chimps that escaped from their cage at a California animal sanctuary. ![]() Nash lost her hands, nose, lips and eyelids in the attack. It went berserk after its owner asked Charla Nash to help lure it back into her house. Lorri Helfand can be reached at or (727) 445-4155.įebruary 2009: A 200-pound pet chimpanzee once seen in TV commercials mauled and blinded a woman in Stamford, Conn. And in 2008, the sanctuary reopened to the public after receiving a valid USDA license. That license was reinstated after a major renovation in 2003. Two years later, the state declined to renew its license for keeping exotic animals, citing similar concerns. Department of Agriculture stripped the sanctuary of its license for public exhibitions, citing small, rusty cages used to house the apes. In the 1990s, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals dubbed it one of the worst roadside zoos in the country. It opened as a roadside attraction in 1971 and was originally known as Noell's Ark Chimp Farm.ĭe Lacure said he's worked in the area for about 14 years and there has not been a problem of this type during that time.īut the sanctuary has had its share of issues. The 121/2-acre park, which abuts the Pinellas Trail, houses dozens of animals, mostly primates. In order to ensure she was well socialized, she was given plenty of time with other chimps. Petersburg Times article about the sanctuary's fundraising efforts.Īccording to the sanctuary's online bio of Shawn, she is "a very gentle and affectionate chimp." She was named after the veterinarian who saved her life and was raised much like a human baby. Shawn's fingerpainting skills were featured in a 2006 St. She was trained to do all of the maintenance and handling of the animals, he said. "To be honest, I think they're probably prepping her for surgery."ĭe Lacure said Maturen had volunteered for the chimp farm for more than five years. "I haven't had a chance to talk to the victim," he said. But they did neither, he said.įriday afternoon, De Lacure said he was just starting the investigation. The caregivers were supposed to move the chimps to another cage farther away and to make sure the door to the adjacent cage was securely locked, he said. ![]() ![]() It appears Maturen and another volunteer didn't follow proper sanctuary protocol, he said. Sanctuary officials said little about the attack Friday.ĭebbie Cobb, the sanctuary's outreach coordinator, said the incident happened because of "human error." The sanctuary's board is also investigating what happened.Ĭobb wasn't there, but others at the sanctuary told her that Maturen was able to walk off of the property and that her face appeared to be okay, she said.ĭe Lacure said at this point in the investigation, there don't seem to be any criminal issues. Shawn is in heat, and changes in hormones may have affected her behavior, he added. "When you have animals in captivity and you have humans involved, there's always a likelihood of injury," De Lacure said. They rarely attack people, but there have been cases of violent attacks on humans. Steve De Lacure of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who is investigating the incident.Ĭhimpanzees may seem docile and cute, but they can be aggressive, especially in the wild, according to primate experts. "The potential could have been a lot worse," said Lt. Maturen was taken to Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Handlers got the chimps back in their cage, asked everyone to leave and put the sanctuary on lockdown. Maturen finally had to lock herself in a bathroom to escape Shawn's wrath. Maturen fought to break free, and tried to run inside, but Shawn followed her. They both ended up outside the primate sanctuary.
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