In HBO’s docuseries Chimp Crazy, the minds behind the COVID-19 pandemic sensation Tiger King turn to another exotic animal.
At the heart of the series is Tonia Haddix, the self-described “Dolly Parton of chimps.” Haddix’s bond with her favorite chimpanzee, Tonka, goes beyond the typical relationship between a human and a pet: She treats Tonka like her child, sharing McDonald’s Happy Meals and scrolling through Instagram together—though through the bars of a cage.
The story begins with the break up of the Missouri Primate Foundation, where Haddix served as a volunteer caretaker. When a fellow volunteer exposes the foundation’s cruel conditions, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) intervenes, closing it down and relocating the chimps to true sanctuaries. But Tonka is nowhere to be found.
Haddix insists Tonka died shortly before the rescue operation. But with no evidence to back up her claim, suspicions grow. What begins as an exposé evolves into a murder mystery: What really happened to Tonka? Could he still be alive, hidden from authorities?
As the standoff between Haddix and PETA escalates, Chimp Crazy raises larger ethical and legal questions: Should animals with near-human levels of intelligence be kept in captivity? What role should the government play in regulating the ownership of dangerous animals? What obligation does a documentarian have to intervene in the face of suffering?
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