14-year-old chimp as strong as 3 people

Bridgeport (WTNH) - The director of the Beardsley Zoo said a chimp never makes a good pet. This is a response to a chimp attack, in Stamford, which has let a woman in critical condition.

"A lot of times, people look at primates as good pets," Beardsley Zoo Director Gregg Dancho said. "They're probably the worst pet you could hope to have."

At the Beardsley Zoo, there are three types of primates to visit. Even though the biggest of the chimps is only 35 lbs, the director said these animals are always enclosed behind glass for a reason.

"Even though he's only 35 lbs, he's a very muscular animal," Dancho said. "So, he's very powerful; he's one of those animals you'd never go in with."

Even experienced handlers would never go in with the primates. Even though they look small, they are fast, powerful and known to be extremely aggressive. The males, in particular, are territorial and go after each other by attacking the face.

That's exactly what happened, Monday, in Stamford but only that chimp, named Travis, was 200 lbs. He attacked his owner's friend and was shot by police when attacking a squad car.

"From what I understand, he's 14-years-old, which means basically he was going through puberty," said Dancho. "His testosterone level was going up, which means he started getting aggressive."

Dancho said it's more likely chimp the was confused, having lived among humans for so long. But he said they are extremely dangerous and should never be pets.

"A chimp, at that age, is about as strong as three people," he said.