Chimp Crazy, a recent HBO Docu-series directed by Eric Goode, the director of Tiger King, is by far one of the most completely insane true stories I’ve watched.
The series mainly focuses on a woman named Tonia Haddix, the self-proclaimed “Dolly Parton of Chimpanzees,” and a volunteer at the Missouri Primate Foundation owned and created by Connie Casey. Prior to her time spent at the Missouri Primate Foundation, Haddix was a registered nurse with no legitimate credentials that would qualify for caring for animals–let alone exotic ones.
Throughout the series, Haddix makes many, many decisions that, in my opinion, no one in their right mind would ever make. The things she would say and do in each episode (like openly admitting to various crimes), were so ridiculous I had to laugh. Not to discount the severity of her crimes, but the complete lack of self-awareness she embodies made it impossible for me to take her seriously.
Over the years, tension between PETA, an animal rights and protection organization, and Haddix began to rise. In fact, in July of 2021, the Missouri Primate Foundation was proven to have failed at being a safely habitable place for the seven chimps in its care. By this point, Haddix was the primary caretaker of the chimps and was forced to vacate the premises on the day of the scheduled relocation.
“I love these chimps more than anything in the world, and I mean more than anything,” said Haddix outside the courthouse after the initial order. “More than my kids, more than anything.”
However, as authorities took the chimps away, they realized one of the chimps was missing. The missing chimp was Tonka, a famous chimp who had been in many movies throughout his lifetime. Tonka had previously starred in the film Buddy alongside Alan Cumming, an actor who just so happened to be working with PETA at the time of the Tonia Haddix controversy.
Haddix attempted to fool PETA, reporting that Tonka had passed away due to heart failure. However, without legitimate proof of Tonka’s passing, the judge could neither confirm nor deny the death of the chimp. Allowing PETA to further their search for the missing (or deceased) chimp. Throughout the rest of the series, the proxy director, Dwayne Cunningham and the camera crew followed Haddix and PETA during the investigations. The end result will utterly shock you.
Outside of the Tonia Haddix scandal, Chimp Crazy also highlights other stories regarding chimps being held in captivity. The stories of Buck and Travis, were both incredibly saddening and furthered the Chimp Crazy’s goal of spreading awareness regarding wild animals in captivity.
Overall, I think that Chimp Crazy did a phenomenal job at playing to the viewers’ emotions when exposing the abuse that animals face right under the nose of authorities. Whether you’re an animal lover or not, this show will leave you wanting to learn more.
