HBO's ‘Chimp Crazy’ shines a light on pet primate trade in the US
The new four-part docuseries from the maker of Tiger King has reignited momentum to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act to prohibit primate ownership across the country.
Tonka and Tonya Haddix in 'Chimp Crazy'. Photo: HBO
HBO's shocking new docuseries, Chimp Crazy, has reignited calls to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act, which would put a stop to the pet primate trade in the United States.
Chimp Crazy is a four-part docuseries, produced and directed by filmmaker Eric Goode of Tiger King, that highlights the dangers and cruelty inherent in private ownership of chimpanzees. At the center of the story is a former nurse turned exotic animal owner, Tonia Haddix, who calls herself the "Dolly Parton of Chimps." The finale of the HBO show aired on Sunday.
Tonka the chimpanzee inside Tonia Haddix's home in 'Chimp Crazy'. PHOTO: HBO
Tonia keeps seven captive chimps who were bred to be used in commercials, photo shoots, and movies. She claims to love Tonka, a 32-year-old retired Hollywood chimp more than her children, according to an HBO press release. When Tonka goes missing, Tonia is faced with a lawsuit brought by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), leading to a years-long saga involving her family, authorities, an undercover clown, and actor Alan Cumming, who starred alongside Tonka in the 1997 film “Buddy.”
Animal advocates are calling for the passage of the bipartisan Captive Primate Safety Act, hoping that Chimp Crazy will drive the bill’s success, much like Tiger King did with the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which banned private ownership and public contact with big cats.
The Captive Primate Safety Act, introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Brian Fitzpatrick, aims to prohibit the private ownership of nonhuman primates. It defines 'prohibited primate species' to include various types of monkeys, apes, and their hybrids. This legislation is focused on banning pet primates while exempting zoos, research facilities, sanctuaries, and universities. Current owners would need to register their animals to ensure awareness among first responders and animal control officers.
“This measure protects both primates and people,” said Blumenthal. ”Wild animals belong in the wild, not shackled and mistreated in someone’s backyard. Humans often are injured by wild animals kept as pets because their deeply ingrained instincts resist domestication, causing them to be dangerously unpredictable pets.
“The Captive Primate Safety Act is about safety, but also basic humane behavior— ending exploitation of these human-like, highly intelligent, social animals,” he added.
Species Unite is among the animal advocates fighting for the passage of the Captive Primate Safety Act. The group has launched a petition in support of the legislation and is asking its community to sign and share widely.
“With the release of Chimp Crazy bringing attention to this disturbing industry, there has never been a better time for our lawmakers to fight to get this important legislation passed,” said Santina Polky, Director of Campaigns and Development. “We need to encourage them to take advantage of this moment and push for this bill now more than ever before.”
The petition highlights how nearly half of U.S. states allow private ownership of primates as pets, leading to a patchwork of regulations and a lack of federal protection against abuse, as shown in Chimp Crazy. Primates often suffer severe trauma from early separation, poor diets, and inadequate living conditions, which fail to meet their complex needs, says Species Unite. Additionally, large primates kept as pets can be dangerously aggressive, with over 300 injury cases reported in the past 30 years.
This risk to public safety is another reason Blumenauer is pushing to enact the bill: “Primates are not pets. Allowing these animals to be kept in private captivity is not just cruel. It puts our communities at tremendous risk as we have seen in horrific cases in Oregon and elsewhere. Enacting this bipartisan, common-sense proposal is long overdue to protect both primates and the public,” he said.
On the heels of Sunday’s finale of Chimp Crazy, PETA is offering a $10,000 reward for evidence that results in the confiscation by law-enforcement authorities of chimpanzees confined at roadside zoos, in private compounds, and in the pet trade.
A screen capture of Bow from a YouTube video posted by Aya Katz, a Raymondville, Missouri, resident and vlogger. Bow is the last remaining solitary chimpanzee held in a private home in the U.S. Photo: PETA
There are fewer than 100 chimpanzees remaining in roadside zoos and private homes in the U.S., according to PETA. Three of those include: Bow, who is exploited in a private home in Missouri for his “owner” Aya Katz’s YouTube channel; Limbani, who is held at a notorious Miami roadside zoo featured in Tiger King and owned by former drug kingpin and convicted felon Mario Tabraue; and Ricky, who is held captive at Pam Rosaire’s secretive compound in Sarasota, where Chance, another chimpanzee featured in Chimp Crazy died of unknown causes at just 15 years old after appearing in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.
“Chimp Crazy shows that powerful primates aren’t playthings, and disaster could strike at any minute as long as Limbani, Bow, Ricky, and other chimpanzees are used by humans for ego gratification and social media ‘likes,’” said PETA Foundation General Counsel Brittany Peet, who appears in Chimp Crazy and worked on the cases featured in it. “PETA has already rescued several chimpanzees and assisted in their transfers to accredited sanctuaries and is now asking the public to help it rescue the last remaining captive primates—before it’s too late.”
Species Unite will release two Chimp Crazy-focused podcast episodes, starting with Elizabeth Novogratz's interview with Brittany Peet, General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement at PETA, on September 19. The following episode on September 26 features Angela Scott, a whistleblower and subject of Chimp Crazy. Sign up for email updates to be notified when they’re released.
Please join Species Unite in calling on Congress to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act by signing and sharing this petition.
Whistleblowers with information about captive chimpanzees, including Bow, Limbani, or Ricky, are encouraged to contact PETA here.
We Have A Favor To Ask…
Species Unite amplifies well-researched solutions to some of the most abusive animal industries operating today.
At this crucial moment, with worldwide momentum for change building, it’s vital we share these animal-free solutions with the world - and we need your help.
We’re a nonprofit, and so to keep sharing these solutions, we’re relying on you - with your support, we can continue our essential work in growing a powerful community of animal advocates this year.
