By Joshua N
Published on May 22, 2024
Sandra Herold was once a woman who seemingly had everything: a family, a dedicated husband, thriving businesses, and a beloved pet chimpanzee who adored her.
Throughout 14 years, Sandra Herold nurtured her chimpanzee Travis as if he were her own child, pampering him with the finest foods, clothing him in human attire, and even teaching him to ride a bicycle. However, her affection for Travis would later bring her great anguish.
Primarily, Travis filled a void in Herold's heart following the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter.
Furthermore, his innate wild instincts would unexpectedly manifest in a brutal manner when, in 2009, he savagely attacked Herold's friend, Charla Nash — an ordeal resulting in indescribable devastation.
This is the poignant tale of Sandra Herold.
The Early Life Of Sandra Herold
Born in 1938 in Stamford, Connecticut, Sandra Herold grew up in a household where her parents, who owned a local bakery, showered their only daughter with affection, indulging her with horses, puppies, and luxurious attire.
Throughout her life, Sandra entered matrimony thrice: firstly post-high school, then in 1960 to a man with whom she shared her only child, Suzan. However, their union was fraught with strife, culminating in divorce just four years later.
At the age of 30, Sandra found enduring love with Jerry Herold. Together, they raised Suzan and established several thriving businesses in Stamford, including a towing enterprise and an auto-body shop, securing a comfortable level of prosperity.
During the 1970s, Sandra forged a deep bond with her confidante, Charla Nash, while participating in rodeo events nationwide. Their friendship blossomed over their mutual adoration for animals.
It was during one of these rodeo excursions that Sandra's life took a fateful turn. Encountering a chimpanzee for the first time, she was captivated by the creature dressed in western attire. Upon meeting backstage and offering the ape gummy bears, a peculiar connection seemed to form. Later, during the chimp's onstage performance, it purportedly recognized Sandra in the audience, rushing into her embrace.
Encountering a chimpanzee ignited a lifelong fascination for Sandra. The Herolds' substantial wealth planted the seed that perhaps one day she could have one of her own.
Living and working happily in Stamford, Suzan matured into adulthood, got married, and left her parental home. Meanwhile, Sandra found herself alone in the house with her husband after her parents passed away.
Feeling embittered, isolated, and conscious of their advancing age, Sandra resolved that the time had come to realize her long-held desire of owning a chimpanzee.
Adopting Travis The Chimp
In 1995, Sandra received a call from Connie Casey, a chimpanzee breeder in Missouri, informing her of an infant male chimp available for adoption. The chimp had been separated from his mother, Suzy, a former zoo inhabitant, just a day prior.
Tears welled in Sandra's eyes as she cradled the infant chimp, ultimately purchasing him for $50,000. Swaddled in baby blankets, she brought him home and christened him Travis, in homage to her favorite singer, Travis Tritt.
In the tranquil confines of their Stamford residence, the Herolds nurtured Travis as if he were their own flesh and blood.
Travis became an integral part of the couple's daily life, accompanying them to work and joining them on family outings. His adorable presence graced the couple's business ads, television commercials, and talk shows, swiftly earning him the affection of the Stamford community.
Sandra lavished care on Travis, dressing him in human attire, taking him to fine dining experiences, and teaching him basic human activities like brushing his teeth and riding a bike. She spared no expense in treating him to gourmet meals like filet mignon and lobster tails, along with indulgent treats such as ice cream, Lindt chocolate, and Nerds candy. At night, he often snuggled up with Sandra and Jerry in bed.
The initial years of Travis being part of Sandra's life brought her immense joy and contentment.
However, tragedy soon darkened their world.
The Deaths Of Sandra's Daughter And Husband
By the year 2000, Suzan had remarried and relocated to North Carolina with her new spouse, leaving Sandra Herold grappling with feelings of abandonment once again.
In September of that year, Suzan was en route from North Carolina to Connecticut to collect some belongings when her car veered off a highway in Virginia, colliding with a tree.
Miraculously, her infant daughter, secured in a car seat in the back, emerged from the accident unharmed. However, Suzan tragically lost her life.
The devastating loss of her only child plunged Sandra Herold into profound grief, a pain compounded when Jerry succumbed to cancer just a few years later, in 2005. Struggling with severe depression, Herold found solace in her remaining companion: Travis.
Travis gradually assumed the role of both surrogate child and companion for Herold.
"He slept with me every night. He combed my hair. Everything in the house is for him," she reportedly said. They shared baths together and even indulged in wine from elegant long-stemmed glasses.
"Until you've… eaten with a chimp and bathed with a chimp, you don't know a chimp," she said.
As Travis matured, his once docile demeanor gave way to the emergence of his wild instincts, his massive frame swelling to a staggering 240 pounds.
Travis' Changing Disposition
Concerning behavior in Travis surfaced shortly following the tragic passing of Sandra Herold's daughter.
During an outing in October 2003, while Herold was driving with Travis, an unidentified individual hurled a glass bottle at their car, striking Travis' side.
Startled and provoked, the chimpanzee swiftly unbuckled his seatbelt, unlocked the car door, and leapt out. He careened through the neighborhood, emitting hoots, clambering atop vehicles, and menacing pedestrians.
A dozen law enforcement officers descended upon the chaotic scene, spending over two hours corralling Travis and returning him to Herold's vehicle. Familiar with Travis, the officers dismissed the incident as playful antics.
However, an animal control officer issued a stern warning to Herold, highlighting that adult chimpanzees possess the strength of several men and are prone to violence and unpredictability in their natural habitat. Advising Herold to rehome Travis, the officer underscored the potential danger posed by keeping him.
Despite the cautionary advice, Herold persisted in her belief that Travis was incapable of violence.
However, following Jerry's passing, Travis's demeanor shifted drastically. He reportedly became withdrawn and despondent, mourning the loss of his "dad" to such an extent that he would often spend hours swaying back and forth in distress. To spare him further anguish, Herold removed all traces of Jerry from their surroundings.
The situation took a different turn when Charla Nash reentered Herold's life.
Charla Nash Comes To Stay With Sandra Herold
With Nash's return to town, there was a slight improvement in the circ*mstances. Following Jerry's demise, Sandra Herold and Nash reconnected, with Herold extending an invitation for Nash to reside in the loft apartment on the property.
Over the next four years, they shared both their living space and responsibilities, caring for Travis and maintaining the household. Meanwhile, Herold increasingly withdrew from society, seldom venturing outside. Travis, now a hefty 14-year-old weighing 240 pounds and standing five feet tall, remained confined to the home during Herold's rare absences.
Then, on Feb. 16, 2009, Herold observed signs of agitation in Travis.
His usual interests no longer held his attention; not his television shows, nor his pet cat, nor any of his favorite pastimes. Alarmed by the chimp's sudden change in behavior, Herold allegedly resorted to dropping a Xanax into his afternoon tea.
In the course of that afternoon, Travis slipped out through the back door and obstinately refused to return indoors. Frustrated by the situation, Herold sought assistance from her friend Charla Nash to corral the unruly chimp.
Around 3:40 p.m. that day, Nash arrived on the scene, clutching a red Elmo doll she hoped would appease Travis. However, upon catching sight of Nash, Travis became incensed — and launched an attack.
The Violent Attack On Charla Nash
With ferocity, Travis forcefully shoved Charla Nash against the side of Herold's car before savagely mauling her in a frenzied onslaught, tearing at her face and body.
In an attempt to halt Travis's assault, Sandra Herold purportedly grabbed a shovel and struck him on the head, but he persisted in his attack, undeterred.
Frantically, Herold dashed into the house, retrieving a butcher knife before returning to the horrifying sight of Travis viciously mutilating Nash. Driven by desperation, Herold plunged the knife into the back of the chimp she had once considered a beloved son.
"He looked at me like, 'Mom, what did you do?'" she later recalled. Then, Travis turned back to his victim.
With trembling hands, Herold retreated to her Volkswagen Passat, locking herself inside and dialing 911. In a panicked plea, she implored the operator to dispatch police officers armed with a firearm.
Responding swiftly to the distress call, officers arrived at the scene. Faced with the looming threat of Travis potentially turning his aggression towards them, one of the officers made the fateful decision to fire upon the chimp.
Bearing wounds and drenched in blood, Travis managed to drag himself to his bedroom, where he collapsed, succumbing to his injuries.
Sandra Herold's Final Years
Miraculously, Charla Nash survived the brutal assault, albeit with the loss of her eyelids, nose, jaw, lips, scalp, and hands. Despite being left blind and permanently disabled, she proceeded to file a $50 million lawsuit against her former friend, Sandy Herold.
Meanwhile, the media descended upon Herold, engulfing her in a flurry of attention.
"It was a horrible thing," she said in 2009, according to TODAY. "But I'm not a horrible person. And he wasn't a horrible chimp. It was a freak thing."
Following the tragic event, Herold found herself in utter solitude, and the loss of Travis left an enduring void in her life.
In the aftermath of the attack, she retreated further into seclusion, seldom venturing outside and resorting to placing a stuffed chimpanzee in Travis' room for companionship. Her hoarding tendencies, which had already begun after her husband's passing, escalated to the point where they jeopardized her safety and well-being in her own home.
Over time, Herold tentatively reentered the public sphere, engaging in social interactions with friends and even embarking on dates. However, acquaintances noted that her conversations invariably circled back to Travis, indicating the enduring grip he held on her thoughts.
Eventually, seeking solace, Sandra Herold found another chimpanzee named Chance to occupy the void left by Travis in her heart. Unable to bring Chance back to Connecticut, she arranged for a friend to care for the chimp elsewhere, visiting him periodically out of state.
Meanwhile, she continued her life in Stamford, tending to the wildlife that wandered onto her property, attending to her daily activities, and maintaining contact with Chance. Tragically, in 2010, her life was cut short by a ruptured aortic aneurysm.
The sudden passing of Herold came as a shock to many, including her former close companion, Charla Nash.
"Sandra was a troubled woman," Nash reportedly told her brother at the time. "And maybe she has some peace now."
