Chimp attack victim moves out of hospital

A WOMAN who had her hands and much of her face torn off by a pet chimpanzee has moved from a hospital to an assisted- living centre, where she plans to continue rehabilitation and hopes for more reconstructive surgery, her family's lawyer said yesterday.

Bill Monaco said Charla Nash was discharged from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, US, and flown by private plane to the Boston area.

"She's going to be learning some skills necessary to become independent," he said. "She needs a rehab facility."

The 200lb animal went berserk in February 2009 after its owner asked Ms Nash, 56, to help lure it back into her house in Stamford, Connecticut.

The chimpanzee ripped off Ms Nash's hands, nose, lips and eyelids. Doctors in Cleveland have done all they can for Ms Nash, who has had multiple operations, Mr Monaco said. Her goal was to have more reconstructive surgery and learn to live independently.

The Cleveland Clinic said in a statement yesterday that Ms Nash had "made great progress in her recovery and has been discharged from the clinic".

The clinic, which in 2008 did the nation's first face transplant, told Ms Nash's family she was not a candidate for a face and hand transplant.

Ms Nash revealed her disfigured face on television in November on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Her family is suing the chimpanzee's owner, Sandra Herold, for $50 million (34m) and wants to sue the state for $150m, saying officials failed to prevent the attack. The chimp, named Travis, was shot dead by police.