Tonka starred in the 1997 family comedy Buddy with Alan Cummings, which followed the true story of Gertrude Lintz, a socialite who raised monkeys as a part of her family in the 1920s.
“During the months we filmed together, baby Tonka and I became good friends, playing and grooming each other and just generally larking about,” Cumming said in a statement.
According to PETA, Tonka was last seen in a cage at a former chimpanzee breeding facility in Missouri, also known as ‘Chimparty.’ Chimps at the Missouri Primate Foundation were bred there and rented out for movies and parties or even sold to private owners.
Last year, Tonka’s owner claimed that the chimp died amid a legal dispute with PETA. Tonka’s owner Tonia Haddix filed court documents in May 2021 that claimed Tonka had died and his body was cremated. However, now we have learned that Tonka is alive and has been living with Haddix while being entertained by a “60-inch TV” and “an interactive iPad-like touch device.”
Tonka was found after authorities searched Haddix’s home as part of an emergency court order obtained by PETA.
Lead Image Source : KSDK News/Youtube.
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