A WOMAN taped pleading with police to shoot her pet chimpanzee because it "ripped the face off" her friend has changed her story over whether she gave the animal mood-altering medication.
Travis, a 15-year-old chimpanzee who has starred in TV shows and ads, so savagely attacked Charla Nash that police didn't recognise she was a woman when they responded to the emergency call of the animal's owner Sandra Herold, Associated Press reports.
On the tape, which was released overnight by police, Ms Herold cries, "He's killing my friend!''
In the background the chimp can be heard grunting.
"Who's killing your friend?,'' the emergency operator asks.
"My chimpanzee! He ripped her apart! Shoot him, shoot him!''
Once police arrive at Ms Hergold's home in Stamford, Connecticut, an officer radios back after seeing the bloodied Ms Nash on the ground: "There's a man down. He doesn't look good.''
"We've got to get this guy out of here. He's got no face.''
Ms Hergold had attempted to wrestle Travis off Ms Nash and after placing the call to police had also stabbed her pet with a carving knife and hit him with a shovel without stopping the assault.
"He looked at me like, 'Mum, what did you do?''' Ms Hergold told NBC's Today Show overnight.
"It was horrific what happened and I had to do what I had to do, but still, I'll miss him for the rest of my life.''
Eventually Travis ran off but when police arrived and tried to protect the injured woman Travis attacked them, forcing officers into their cars.
The chimpanzee ripped the side mirror off one police vehicle before opening a car door and forcing a cornered officer to shoot the animal several times.
Leaving a trail of blood Travis retreated to his living quarters where he died.
Ms Nash, 55, had gone to Hergold's home to help coax the chimp back into the house after he got out but she was barely out of her car before the Travis attacked, police said.
She remains remains in a critical condition in hospital with serious injuries to her face and hands.
Ms Hergold today denied her earlier statements that she had given Travis tea laced with the drug Xanax, which doctors say can stimulate aggression in unstable people.
After telling police she gave Travis the drug, Ms Hergold had even showed off the mug the tea had supposedly served the spiked beverage in on TV.
Police are considering laying charges.
A pet owner can be held criminally responsible if he or she knew or should have known that an animal was a danger to others.
Travis lived may years with Ms Hergold as a member of the family.
He ate and drank at the dinner table, brushed his teeth, used a remote to find baseball on TV and logged onto a computer to look at online images.
As a young chimp he starred in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca Cola.
He also appeared on a talkshow and a TV pilot.
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