Woman loses both hands to chimpanzee attack.

[Ed Mahmoud]

The pet chimpanzee, named Travis, attacked 55-year-old Charla Nash at its Rockrimmon Road home Monday afternoon.

Nash was coming to help Travis' 70-year-old owner, Sandra Herold, calm the animal, who police said had been agitated all day.

Herold gave the chimp tea laced with Xanax in an attempt to calm him. When that didn't work, police said Herold called for Nash's help.

Police said Travis violently attacked Nash as she exited her vehicle. They called the attack "lengthy and vicious."

Herold called 911 and went to help her friend. Police said she stabbed Travis, whom they said she raised like a child, several times with a kitchen knife before police arrived. Police said Herold also tried hitting Travis with a shovel in an attempt to get him to stop attacking Nash.

Police said Travis can be heard screaming during Herold's 911 call.

Police said Travis then ran over to police cruisers and broke a mirror off one of the vehicles before opening a cruiser door. Stamford police said the chimp moved as though he was going to attack the officer, prompting the officer to shoot the animal in the chest at close range.

Travis then ran off, and police said officers following the blood trail found him dead in his living quarters inside the home.

Nash was transported to Stamford Hospital with life-threatening and "life-changing injuries," police said. Neighbors told Eyewitness News that the chimp bit the woman's hands off.

He bit both of her hands off," said Herold's friend, Lynn Mecca. "The cop said he was eating …it’s terrible. I don’t want to talk about it."

Police said Herold was also taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. The officer whom the chimp lunged at was transported to the hospital for shock and trauma treatment, police said. The officer has since been treated and released.

[george_r_1961]

When are people going to learn not to keep wild animals as pets???

[HURAKAN]

Short answer, never!!!

[Miss Mary]

George - my thoughts, exactly.

Sigh.......

[Squarethecircle]

Chimps are not fuzzy and hilarious movie stars that you keep as pets.

They have a reputation for pretty extreme violence.

[george_r_1961]

Chimps are not fuzzy and hilarious movie stars that you keep as pets.

They have a reputation for pretty extreme violence.

Exactly. And ounce for ounce they are much more powerful than humans. To put it simply, a 200 pound human, even in excellent physical condition, would be no match for a 200 pound chimp.

[Stephanie]

I think that they had Travis for a long time. I wonder if he was ill.

Anyway, I agree, wild animals are not to be confused as "pets".

[george_r_1961]

I think that they had Travis for a long time. I wonder if he was ill.

Anyway, I agree, wild animals are not to be confused as "pets".

I also wonder if giving him prozac was a good idea.

[Meso]

I love chimps, they're the most amazing animals.

As if keeping one isn't bad enough, putting one on medication like that and keeping him around is just stupid.

[HURAKAN]

Chimpanzee shot after attack outside New York

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

I pray for the woman and her family
This is a horrible thing for someone to go through

[HurricaneBill]

Charla Nash recently revealed her face on Oprah.