CT Bill Died, Sandra Herold

A bill to ban ownership of potentially dangerous animals -- pushed by state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal after a vicious chimp attack on a woman in Stamford made national headlines in February -- has died in the waning moments of the General Assembly's regular legislative session.

The so-called exotic animal bill had too many complications to resolve before legislative adjournment Wednesday at midnight, and so it will not be brought up for a vote in the state House of Representatives, Blumenthal's office said it had learned from lawmakers today.

The bill would have banned private ownership of wild animals including gorillas, chimpanzees, baboons, kangaroos, wolverines, hyenas, elephants, hippos, alligators, rattlesnakes, cobras, and pythons.

"I am disappointed that lawmakers failed to pass my proposal," Blumenthal said. "The tragic chimp attack, leaving the victim with severe, lifelong injuries, underscored the urgent need to carefully regulate and restrict private possession of wild animals."

The proposal was prompted by an attack on Charla Nash, 55, by a 200-pound chimpanzee. Nash was critically injured after she went to the Stamford home of her close friend, Sandra Herold, to help her with Herold's 14-year-old chimp, Travis. Nash suffered severe face and hand injuries and was blinded. Police shot and killed the animal.

"Wild animals belong in zoos or similar facilities under the care of experts -- not private homes where they could do harm," said Blumenthal. He vowed to keep "fighting for legislation banning dangerous animals.""

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