Sandra Herold and her friend Charla Nash had no idea what kind of tragedy was going to happen to them on February 16, 2009. That day, Charla went to see Sandra, as she had done many times before, and she was also supposed to help Sandra put her pet chimp, Travis, back in his pen.
Charla knew Travis well and they got along well. But on that terrible day, Travel changed from a well-trained chimp to a cruel monster, and the violence he used on Charla not only left her with scars for life, but it also made Sandra call 911 and ask the police to come and kill Travis.
The Irish Star says that Sandra said on her 911 call, “He ripped her apart!” Get going! Get going! Please! He ripped her face off! “He’s eating her face!” The Daily Star also said, “Gun! They were able to shoot him! Please! Please! Hurry up! Hurry! Please! No, I can’t. I can’t … He’s eating her! He’s eating her! Please! Oh my God! Please! Where are they? “Where are they?”
Travis’ behavior was highly unusual, as he was not only a local celebrity, but also highly trained. He could open doors and eat like humans. Sandra considered him her son, and this view remained unchanged even after Travis attacked her friend and had to be killed.
Following Sandra’s call, police arrived at her house, and Travis survived four bullets before dying in his own bed. Sandra mentioned that Travis was agitated, so she gave him Xanax, and that the reason he attacked Charla was most likely her new hairstyle, which Travis was unfamiliar with.
Charla proved to be a true survivor, despite the fact that the damage Travis inflicted on her appeared to be insurmountable. However, she survived and eventually received a facial transplant.
Travis’s attack on Charla was brutal. According to the Irish Star, Travis “savagely attacked, scalping her, and removing and consuming her eyes.” He bit off one hand completely and nearly severed an arm. Her jaw was completely dislodged from her skull, resulting in serious brain injuries.
It should be noted that Travis had been with Sandra since he was three days old, as the woman had paid $50,000 to a breeder and had to tranquilize his mother to bring the chimp home. Travis has lived an unusual life for a chimpanzee since Sandra brought him home. Following the harrowing incident, theories circulated that Travis finally snapped due to the strange life he lived.
While Travis had to be killed, his victim, Charla Nash, not only survived the attack but also appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to share her ordeal. When NBC journalist Jeff Rossen asked Sandra about having chimps as pets after the tragedy, she replied, “Would I have done it again? Yes! They are the most similar to humans. We can both give and receive blood transfusions. How many people go crazy and murder others? This is one incident in which I have no idea what happened.
She continued, “It was a horrible thing. But I am not a horrible person. And he was not a bad chimp. It was a freak thing.” Her words demonstrated how much Travis meant to her, and no matter what he did to her best friend, her stance remained unchanged.