One year since Stamford chimp attack

Stamford, Conn. (WTNH) - It's been one year since a chimpanzee in Stamford mauled a woman, nearly killing her.

Travis the chimp was well-known in Stamford. He lived closely with its owner, 70-year old Sandra Herold, enjoying dinners with wine and baths together. But in February 2009, Travis became agitated and ran outside. Herold called her friend, Charla Nash, to help coax the chimp back inside.

Read more from the day of the attack

"He ripped her face off! He tried to attack me! Please hurry! You gotta shoot him, hurry, hurry," Herold screamed to the 9-1-1 operator.

Listen to the 9-1-1 call

When emergency personnel arrived, they didn't even know the victim was a woman. Travis had ripped off Nash's hands and face. Police shot Travis when he turned on them.

In the days following the attack, Herold said Travis had never been violent before.

"He was my life, everybody knows it. I cooked for him, I slept with him, everything," she said.

Charla Nash underwent extensive surgery at Stamford Hospital until she was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio for rehabilitation. It wasn't until November that she showed her face to the world on the Oprah show.

In December, prosecutors announced that they would not file criminal charges against Herold, though Nash's family is pursuing a civil lawsuit against her, the city of Stamford and the state of Connecticut.

Just last month, the Cleveland Clinic announced that they could not perform a hand and face transplant for Nash. The family is looking at other facilities that may be able to perform the surgeries.