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.
