‘Chimp Crazy’ episode 3 sheds light on Tonia’s continued, disturbing chimpanzee abuse

HBO’s new docuseries Chimp Crazy will leave you speechless.

Under normal circumstances, I’d be heartbroken to see a pet taken away from their owner. But after three episodes of Chimp Crazy, I surprisingly agreed with PETA’s relentless pursuit of a chimp named Tonka and the woman who faked his death to avoid having to surrender him, Tonia Haddix. Tonia isn’t physically abusing Tonka, but she for decades, she wasn’t giving him what he needs as a chimpanzee.

Chimp Crazy episode three aired on Sunday, September 1, 2024, on HBO and is currently streaming on Max. It’s top-tier absurdity to see Tonia confessing and committing her crimes with a film crew following her around. She wasn’t afraid, and I had to check twice if this documentary wasn’t just a parody to take a dig at “monkey moms.” Unfortunately, Tonka’s ordeal wasn’t a work of fiction.

“Humanizing” chimpanzees

I’m not a chimpanzee expert, but dressing the chimp like a child, giving him human food, and giving him an iPad for entertainment registers in my mind as gross mistreatment, if not outright abuse. It’s honestly shocking Tonka has survived this long. According to one of Tonia’s children, she treated the monkeys like her own children. Infamously, Tonia herself publicly stated that she loved the chimpanzees more than she loved her own children.

That wasn’t true, of course. Tonka was in terrible shape when he was rescued.