By Maxine Bass
The self-proclaimed “Dolly Parton of chimps” is the subject of a new docuseries from the director of Tiger King
Back in 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, people who suddenly found themselves trapped in their homes binge-watched Tiger King. That bonkers Netflix docuseries chronicled the bizarre-but-true feud between flamboyant Oklahoma zookeeper Joe Exotic and animal rescue advocate Carole Baskin, taking viewers through a drama-filled dive into the world of big cat breeding that ended in a murder-for-hire plot.
The series became a surprise hit and a pop-culture touchstone, and that project’s director, Eric Goode, is back with a new series that is no less wild.
Chimp Crazy explores a different corner of the world of exotic animal ownership, focusing on “chimp moms” who raise chimpanzees as pets — and sometimes treat them like their own children.
Top among them is Tonia Haddix, a former nurse who is now an exotic animal broker who calls herself the “Dolly Parton of chimps.”
In a trailer for the four-part HBO docuseries, Haddix appears in a pink bedroom, outfitted with bunk beds and stuffed animals, as she gushes about a chimpanzee named Tonka. “A chimp that she would do anything for to protect,” a voiceover intones, “that includes giving her life for him.”
To Tonia, Tonka is her child — whom she professes to love even more than her actual children.
“I would give anything I had possession-wise up for that child.
I would give my life for him and that’s exactly what I did,” she declares.
Her husband concurs, admitting that he “has never seen her with that much passion for anything in her life, and that includes her family”
According to HBO, Tonka was one of seven chimpanzees that Haddix bred in her compound, which she’s dubbed the Missouri Primate Foundation. The intent was for these animals to be used as entertainers, in advertising, movies, TV shows, and even parties.
“Tonka and I just found each other and Tonka loved me as much as I loved Tonka,” Maddix says. “Chimps are my whole thing. You can shape them into being you.” But can you? Even though chimpanzees share 98 per cent of our DNA, they don’t want to be humans’ playmates or roommates.
Through the experiences of Maddix and her fellow “chimp moms,” Chimp Crazy reveals the singular bonds that form between owners and their highly intelligent simian pets. It’s not all wackiness, however; the series also exposes the risks humans take when they try to raise these powerful and intelligent animals as members of a human family, as well as the risks to the welfare of the animals themselves.
At turns hilarious and tragic, Chimp Crazy unfolds with the pace and suspense of a thriller, exploring the secretive world of breeding and raising chimpanzees in captivity, boasting a colourful and complicated cast of characters.
The series takes a huge twist when Maddix’s limitless love for Tonka spins into a wild cat-and-mouse chase with authorities, documenting the drastic steps that Haddix took to keep Tonka, involving a lawsuit from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In addition, the film also brings Traitors host Alan Cumming into the mix, due to the fact that he co-starred with Tonka in the 1997 film Buddy.
“When I met Tonka while filming the movie Buddy, I made a true friend and I was honoured that he thought of me as a fellow chimp,” Cumming has stated.
When PETA finally gained access to Maddix’s property, seizing her chimps with the assistance of U.S. Marshals, Tonka was gone. Cumming offered a $10,000 reward for information about the missing chimp’s whereabouts.
Haddix claimed he had died, and fought PETA in court for a full year. PETA obtained a search warrant, and discovered that she’d hidden Tonka in a cage in her basement.
Chimp Crazy ends on a happy note — albeit not necessarily for Maddix; Tonka is now living his best life at an accredited sanctuary, Save the Chimps in Florida.
Chimp Crazy airs Sunday, August 18, on HBO Canada