Thursday, August 11, 2011

Chimp attack woman relates ordeal



A woman who was mauled by a chimpanzee has revealed her severely damaged face on the US TV show Oprah, nine months after the savage attack.



Charla Nash lost her nose, lips, hands, and an eyelid in the February attack in Connecticut, and doctors have since removed her eyes because of infection.



She eats through a straw and cannot breathe through her nose.



She said she could not remember the attack. "I want to get healthy. I don't want to wake up with nightmares."



The 12-minute attack took place after Sandra Herold invited Ms Nash, a friend, to her house in Stamford to help her entice the 200lb (90kg) chimpanzee, known as Travis, back into the house. Police shot and killed the animal when they arrived on the scene.



In the TV interview, talk show host Oprah Winfrey removed a veil covering Ms Nash's head to reveal a badly swollen, inflamed face with most features unrecognisable.



Ms Nash says she wears a veil so as not to scare people and to avoid insults.



"I'm the same person I've always been. I just look different."



Ms Nash said she does not touch her face often.



"I know that I have my forehead. It feels like just patches of tape or gauze or covering, covering my face."



Ms Nash said she does not think about being angry about the attack.



"There's no time for that anyways because I need to heal, you know, not look backwards."



Speaking to the Associated Press news agency, she said she had warned Ms Herold that the animal was dangerous, and added that he could break out of his cage.



"I always told her you have to get rid of him, he's going to hurt somebody someday. He's too dangerous," Ms Nash said.



Lawyers for Ms Nash filed a $50m (£30m) lawsuit against Ms Herold, accusing her of negligence and recklessness.



The lawsuit also claims that Ms Herold gave the animal medication that exacerbated its violent behaviour.

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