As a documentary filmmaker who has dived deep into the world of exotic animal ownership, I’ve seen it all – from tigers to primates and even reptiles. But Chimp Crazy, my latest project, took me on an unexpected journey that was as wild as any safari I’ve ever been on.
[This story contains spoilers from the third episode of Chimp Crazy, “Head Shot.”]
Over the past couple of weeks, Eric Goode, the documentarian behind Tiger King, has been unveiling his intense and scandalous sequel titled Chimp Crazy on HBO. The series revolves around the complex relationship between exotic animal dealer Tonia Haddix, who professes her affection for the retired chimpanzee Tonka over her own children, and PETA, an activist organization that has been battling in court for years to relocate the primate to a recognized sanctuary.
In the second last episode broadcasted on Sept 1st, it was revealed that Haddix, who had earlier claimed Tonka had perished (she even presented proof of his cremation), had been secretly sheltering her “humanzee” in her basement in Missouri. As Goode ponders on camera, the question arises: “Should we hand her over to authorities?” or “Should we keep investigating this intriguing tale instead?”
As the search for the missing chimpanzee intensifies, Haddix becomes noticeably more worried. Actor Alan Cumming, a well-known animal rights advocate who worked with Tonka in the 1997 family comedy “Buddy,” gains global attention by offering a reward of $10,000, similar to PETA’s, for information about Tonka’s whereabouts. She states emphatically, “They would send someone to harm me if they thought they could,” further adding, “I can never escape them. I’m in trouble.”
Towards the end of the episode, she informs a crucial member of the production crew that Tonka is suffering from congestive heart failure and that a vet has arranged an urgent appointment to put him down. Shortly after, Goodie is spotted with a legal representative from PETA, indicating her confession.
The Hollywood Reporter interviewed Goode, who is not only recognized for his Emmy-nominated filmmaking endeavors but also as the founder of the Turtle Conservancy, about the intricate and entangled predicament he finds himself in with this latest project. This project has the potential to become HBO’s most-watched documentary series in years.
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How did Chimp Crazy happen?
As a captivated spectator of the Tiger King series unfolding, I found myself immersed in an intriguing subculture: the “monkey moms,” women who dedicate their lives to nurturing primates. I’ve encountered numerous specialized communities – tropical fish enthusiasts, reptile lovers, avian aficionados. Yet, the monkey mom world was uniquely bizarre and fascinating. For them, caring for these creatures mirrors parenthood. My curiosity piqued, I delved deeper into their world. Over time, we eventually discovered Tonia, but that journey took a remarkable two years.
What did you bring from doing Tiger King to this?
Essentially, you won’t truly understand the experience or if there even is one until you arrive. You can only approach it with hopefulness.
It’s a different world this time than Tiger King.
Tigers are known for their masculinity, as expressed in the saying: “I’ve got a tiger, I’ve got a Lamborghini.” This is symbolic accessory. With women, it’s more about forming a close emotional bond, similar to that with monkeys. They often view these relationships as surrogate parent-child bonds. However, as the monkeys reach puberty, which happens much earlier than in humans, considerations for castration and shock collars become necessary. Chimps, on the other hand, become unmanageable around age five or six.
In my perspective, Tonia frequently emphasizes that Tonka holds a greater significance in her life compared to her spouse and kids. I find that quite intriguing, what about you?
On previous occasions, similar words have come from these chimp mothers. At times, it’s delivered in a playful manner. Tonia has experienced several relationships, and sadly, her first husband is believed to have passed away due to drug-related circumstances. However, she found that she could rely on these chimpanzees more than any human acquaintance she had. She felt she held their fate in her hands.
As a devoted admirer, I’d like to highlight that Chimp Crazy brims with captivating personalities, among them the proxy director I brought on board, Dwayne Cunningham. Known for his past as a circus clown, he certainly adds an intriguing twist!
For some time, I collaborated with Dwayne on my venture within the reptile trading industry. Prior to this, he was a stand-up comedian on major cruise liners. He was apprehended and served time in prison for illegally transporting rock iguanas from the Caribbean islands.
Initially, Dwayne wasn’t intended to serve as a “stand-in director.” However, it was him who crossed paths with Tonia, leading us to track her instead.
Tonia had a great deal of faith in you, or so it seemed to be Dwayne. You managed to capture her during a consultation for lip injections and also at a tanning salon. Can you explain how you were able to gain such private access?
She’s incredibly open-hearted! (Laughs) She was warm and comfortable, welcoming us into her life as if we were old friends. There was nothing mysterious or guarded about her. That‘s just the nature of Tonia.
Did Tonia’s trust make it harder to reveal that you and Dwayne had betrayed her?
Indeed, yes. It appears that Dwayne had grown quite close to Tonia. However, he wasn’t disclosing all details to me, so a conversation with Dwayne was necessary. He had strayed from the norm, making it a challenging situation. He was sharing information with Tonia that wasn’t reaching me. I suspect Tonia may feel lonely at times and craves companionship, and Dwayne filled that role for her. Dwayne often advised Tonia not to share secrets with the filmmakers that she wouldn’t want the entire world to hear. He was very vigilant in this regard. As a result, Dwayne learned things before I did.
The experience was aggravating for me. I had a conversation about it with Dwayne. We recorded the discussion, yet it didn’t make it to the final broadcast. A portion of me yearned to share our disagreement, our internal strife, particularly concerning Dwayne and Tonka. I wasn’t very acquainted with Dwayne at that time. Dwayne is someone who advocates for pet ownership. He wasn’t too decisive about where Tonka should reside. He observed the continuous care and affection we showed towards Tonka. As a result, he was hesitant about letting Tonka go.
Here, PETA plays the part of the adversary towards Tonia, opposing her on the matter of her monkeys and the location of Tonka.
I don’t consider myself an animal rights activist; instead, I’m a conservation biologist, focusing on preserving various species. However, I find it challenging to agree with PETA’s firm stance on exterminating rats in the Galapagos, as seen in my work with tortoises. Nevertheless, I share their goal here.
For how many days or hours did you continue recording after discovering that Tonka lived at Tonia’s house in Lake of the Ozarks, before reporting this to PETA?
In just a few short months, I reached out to several experts in the field of primatology, seeking their insight on a topic close to my heart: determining signs of depression in chimps, as Tonia had suggested.
It appeared that the woman was supposed to guide us towards individuals maintaining apes and gibbons, but it turned out that she was embroiled in a legal dispute with PETA, which altered our destination.
Once she mentioned that she would euthanize Tonka, and stated she had a vet appointment for this purpose, we reached out to PETA.
You’ve done tigers. You’ve done primates. What’s next?
At the outset, my video work centered around the reptile market, a massive and sprawling industry with striking parallels to drug cartels in its operations. I’ve been dedicating myself to a project concerning this topic, and I aim to bring it to completion.
However, there’s an abundance of other topics waiting to be explored. I find it intriguing to delve into narratives about less-discussed species, such as invertebrates. For instance, the trade involving butterflies and insects, or the destructive practice of dynamiting coral reefs for saltwater tropical fish collection.
Chimp Crazy releases its finale Sunday, Sept. 9, at 10 p.m. on Max.
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2024-09-02 06:25