[baby monkey chittering]
♪
[gently clicking tongue]
Tonia Haddix: Monkey
love is totally different
than the way that you
have love for your child.
If it's your natural born child,
it's just natural
because you actually,
you know, gave
birth to that kid.
But when you adopt a monkey,
the bond is much, much deeper.
Roger Zoppe: Baby,
hey, look at you.
What are you doing?
- Hey.
- Roger: Hey.
Tonia: Human children
are meant to grow up
and build bonds with
other people in society.
But not chimpanzees.
Pam Rosaire: Look at
that little chimp.
Tonia: Their mother
is their whole life.
And that primate feels
that way about you,
because you become their mother.
♪
[chittering]
I'm sorry, there is nothing
like holding, loving,
being around a chimp.
Tickle, tickle, tickle,
tickle, tickle, tickle...
It's the best thing
since peanut butter.
[crunching]
I-I can't explain it,
'cause it's like something
that you just don't ever feel.
[happily grunting]
It's so empowering.
They are just like us.
[urinating]
Especially Tonka.
Kiss.
Thank you. He's a
good boy, a good boy.
Tonka and I just
found each other.
And Tonka loved me as
much as I love Tonka.
[laughing]
It was meant to be,
it was just natural.
It's like your love for God.
And I'll do anything to
protect that primate, anything.
[helicopter whirring]
[siren wailing]
[dramatic music playing]
reporter 1: A fight over
chimpanzees should be over.
Reporter 2: The chimpanzee
lady now making national news.
They're gonna have to bring
sheriffs and they're gonna have
to bring everything
that they can.
[pounding glass windows]
I would give anything that
I have possession-wise up
for that child.
I would give my life for him.
♪
[music softens]
And that's exactly what
I did, to be honest.
[plucky music playing]
♪
[music stops]
[people chattering]
["Also Sprach Zarathustra" by
Richard Strauss playing on TV]
- There it is.
- [imitating timpani]
♪
No, stop it. It's okay.
[music continues]
[hollering]
♪
[music ends]
Pam: My dad asked me
what I wanted to do
with the rest of my life.
I said, I wanna be the world's
most famous chimpanzee trainer.
- Eric Goode: How old were you?
- Seven.
[cheering and applause]
Pam: My ancestors were
all circus people.
So, I couldn't just have
one chimp, you know?
You had to have at least three,
because then it was an act.
[crowd cheering]
Chimps have a very long life.
They have the same
lifespan that we do.
So I picked the right trade.
I'm still performing
with my chimps.
[announcer, indistinct]
- Thank you very much!
- [applause]
[chimps hooting]
Pam: Chimps are amazing.
They can do just about
anything they want to
because they have
our intelligence.
They're calculating, they
watch every move you make.
They learn to read people.
They know what you say.
Every word you say,
they understand it.
Speaker: Somebody's
trying to get a beer
on the back of the truck here.
[laughter]
No! Don't do that.
[indistinct]
Punch. Punch! Punch!
Pam: They are 98.4 human DNA.
So, therefore, they are our
closest living relative.
They're my kids.
And they're always
gonna be my kids.
Years ago, I had a baby chimp
born two months premature.
Premature baby chimps
cannot digest formula.
And he wasn't doing good.
He was dying.
[gentle music playing]
But I just had my
daughter, Dallas,
so I did what came natural.
He's a baby that needs
feeding, feed it, you know?
[clearing throat]
I come in one day
and she's got
Dallas on one booby
and the chimp on the other.
And I go, "Whoa,
what are you doing?"
Pam: I really didn't
know what I was doing.
And then, to have two of 'em
and... it's like twins, really.
Next thing you know,
it's in the "Enquirer,"
and then "Star," and oh, my God.
"Baby chimp saved by
breastfeeding mum."
One for you and one for you.
Dallas Zoppe: He
was very gentle.
He was very kind.
No, this is the same.
We were like brother
and sister so much
that the instant that
a boy would like me,
he knew and he would
be mean to that boy.
He would throw poop at him.
I can't imagine my
life without him.
It would have been
very different.
[cheering and applause]
♪
Monkey, monkey, monkey!
Pam: To me, they're my life.
They're my life's love.
They were my first love.
I wouldn't want to have my
life without a chimp in it.
I love you.
I love you with
everything I got.
Go ahead, you can
have your drink.
Yes! [laughing]
[Eric speaking]
For a long time, it
was Connie Casey.
She has chimpanzees.
[bell dinging]
But it's too bad,
because it's the
end of a dynasty.
[train whistle blowing]
She lives in Festus, Missouri.
And she doesn't
want the attention.
Peter Laufer: Missouri
is one of the few states
where you can do pretty
much anything with animals.
- [people chattering]
- [buzzer blares]
There are exotic animal auctions
and very few restrictions
on the kinds of things
that are not allowed elsewhere,
including what Connie
Casey was doing big time,
which was breeding
chimpanzees at her enclave,
Missouri Primate Foundation.
Back in 2010, I was
the last journalist
who talked with Connie.
[Eric speaking]
Oh, yeah. Oh, sure.
[chittering]
Eric: I've been documenting
exotic animal people
for over 15 years.
This is the monkey's closet.
Eric: Wow. Oh, so
this is formal wear.
The monkeys have more
clothing than I have.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Are you sure?
- Really, yeah.
- I don't have this many shirts.
- Hmm.
Ay, que linda.
Eric: Exotic animal people
are generally distrustful
of outsiders.
- Monkey mom: Uh oh.
- [monkey chittering]
Eric: I've been an animal
person my entire life,
so gaining access
to this community
has been pretty easy for me.
But this time, it's different.
In 2020, I made "Tiger King."
And do you wear these yourself?
I don't wear
underwear. [laughing]
- You don't wear underwear?
- No, free ball it.
Wow.
"Tiger King" shined a
spotlight on this community
and it wasn't favorable.
That's a brand-new shirt.
Eric: And now, people
like Connie Casey,
for the most part, don't
want anything to do with me.
- Speaker [on phone]: Hey.
- Hey.
I'm on the road
to Connie Casey's.
I don't know, this
doesn't look too friendly.
- [dogs barking]
- I think I'm gonna go
and think about
this for a minute.
So, for this project, I had
to hire a proxy director
to go undercover.
Alright, so listen.
Um,
I'll follow you guys.
- Crew member: Okay.
- But I'll be discreet.
- Crew member: You won't see...
- My car's discreet, okay?
- Crew member: Okay.
- Alright.
Dwayne Cunningham:
This is our exit.
- Crew member: See this fence?
- Dwayne: Yep!
- Crew member: Yep, that's it.
- Dwayne: That's it.
[distant monkeys chittering]
[gate creaking]
[curious music playing]
♪
- Dwayne: Good morning.
- Good morning.
Dwayne: How are you?
- Crew member: 3:30, you said?
- Yeah, 3:30.
- [phone ringing]
- Hello?
Speaker [on phone]:
Can you hear me?
Well, I'm Tonia Haddix.
Basically, I'm a nurse
from St. Louis, Missouri.
I came down here to
Missouri Primate Foundation
to help Connie Casey
preserve the chimpanzees
that she still held.
Connie is a legacy. She has
a legacy that is greater
than anybody could
ever, ever imagine.
She is a world-renowned
chimp person,
basically responsible
for three-quarters
of the c*ptive-bred chimps
that are here in the
United States currently.
So, I don't know where your
best view would be to film,
is what I guess I'm asking.
- There's Connie now.
- [chimps screeching]
[Dwayne speaking]
Tonia: No, wait. [laughing]
I don't want her
overwhelmed with everything.
[screeching continues]
Hey, you come here.
I know I don't know your name,
and I know that sounds rude.
[laughing]
Connie, I'm Dwayne Cunningham.
It's a pleasure and
honor to meet you.
We just thought people
needed to hear your story,
and, um, at the very
least we can get it out
in the court of public opinion.
Eric: Maybe you have
the wrong credentials
for a million things,
but for this, Dwayne,
it's almost like not
playing a role at all
'cause you know this world.
You have no idea.
Announcer: Ringling
Brothers and Barnum...
Dwayne: I went to Ringling
Brothers Barnum and Bailey
Circus Clown College,
class of 1975.
I got to work with
their animals every day.
And then I became involved
in the animal industry
for pretty much my entire life.
Hi, I'm Dr. Wasabi, and I
know what you're thinking.
"Penguins?"
Also, I've had,
uh, a relationship
with the federal government
over exotic animals.
So, when you called me and said,
"Be the point person, get inside
and see what was going on,"
I mean, that's
right up my alley.
- You're gonna look great.
- Oh, thank you.
Dwayne: Once they
knew my background,
they weren't skeptical
of, uh, of my presence.
[cages rattling]
[monkeys screeching]
[hooting continues]
[banging]
[pounding glass windows]
[Tonia speaking]
♪
[Connie speaking]
- I don't wanna be on camera.
- Crew member: Sure.
At that point, it
seemed like Connie Casey
was like, exhausted.
Exhausted physically,
exhausted mentally.
But Tonia comes in,
and the more I
listened to her...
[banging]
the more I thought,
"It's a love story."
[light music playing]
Tonia: She does
really good work.
Her stuff looks natural instead
of it looking really crazy.
'Cause I could go crazy,
- you guys know that.
- [technician laughing]
Everybody compares me to Dolly.
I don't know why. But they do.
I'm the Dolly Parton
of the chimps.
Or I'm the crazy
monkey lady. Whatever.
♪
[tapping camera]
I owned capuchin monkeys
for about 20 years.
I love the capuchins, but I
had always wanted a chimp.
A chimp's even way
better than a capuchin.
You can shape them
into being you.
[hooting]
So, I was like, "You know what?
"I can afford one and
my kids are grown,
so let's try to
find a baby chimp."
Connie Casey was offering
chimp encounters.
So, I had made an appointment.
It was the most rewarding
and most amazing
experience I ever had.
I wanted to go back.
I was ready to go
pay 300 more dollars.
[sniffing]
Connie lived the life that
I would love to have lived.
I mean, she's my idol,
and she needed help.
So, I was just gonna
volunteer one day a week.
[chuckling] And so, then it
ended up three or four days,
and then it ended up five
days, and then it ended up...
I didn't go home for months.
Then I ended up actually
moving up here on property
25 feet from the chimps.
Chimps are my whole thing.
And thank God I went to
Connie's five years ago,
or I never would
have ever known.
That's the only time in my
life that I've ever been happy.
I'm 53 years old,
and them five years
was the best five
years of my life.
[chimps screeching]
[loud banging]
Oh, it's okay.
[continues banging]
Dwayne: No?
[Tonka screeching]
We've got seven chimpanzees
at the facility,
and each chimp is
so individualistic,
just like humans.
Connor is the Hallmark
Greeting Card Chimp.
Born and bred at
Connie's facility,
so he's never lived
anyplace else.
Then, we have Tammy,
Kerry,
Mikayla, Candy, Crystal.
And then, there's Tonka.
- [groaning]
- [hooting]
Tonia: Tonka did a lot of movies
like "George of the Jungle"
and "Babe: Pig in the City."
[whispering] It's okay...
See how... as you notice,
they gravitate to what
they feel secure, so...
- Dwayne: You're the mom.
- Yeah, I'm the second mom.
Connie's the first
mom, but yeah.
I've begged her to please,
please, let's write a book,
to get her, her legacy down.
Connie's very closed,
but slowly but surely,
I found out a lot about
Connie and the chimps.
♪
She got her first chimp in 1972.
His name was Coco.
He was wild caught from Africa.
Connie Casey: We
would sit in a circle,
my husband and I,
and my three kids,
with little pieces of peanut,
or raisin, or something
in our mouth.
And he would just gently
take it out of our mouth
with his lips.
We got a second chimp about
a year and a half later.
Back then, it was
easier to get 'em.
Tonia: Coco and Bridget
had their first baby, Bo,
and then they just
had multiple babies.
[screeching]
As chimps get a
little bit older,
they become harder to handle.
[loud banging]
So, people would
contact Connie and say,
"Hey, you know,
I've got this chimp.
Are you interested
in housing it?"
Little did I know
that years later
I'd have a house full of chimps.
Give me a kiss, give
me some, give me some.
Give me some
kisses. [smooches]
[softly whimpering]
Angela Scott: I first started
working with Connie in 2001.
It was very surreal.
Immediately, I was in love.
And I just knew that that
was what I wanted to do.
I wanted to work there.
Connie: Hey, sweetie pie.
Angela: Connie was breeding
and selling chimps as pets,
And every year,
they would keep one.
- [thrilling music playing]
- [grunting]
That's what they would use
for commercials or movies.
Did either of you stop
and think about us?
That's all I've been
thinking about, Pops.
- [chittering]
- Yeah, you too, Chim Chim.
Tonia: I know of at
least four generations,
if not five generations of
Connie's chimps in Hollywood.
What in the hell?
You have to make
sure to burp him.
- He's just like a little baby.
- [gagging]
Tonia: When she
remarried and Mike Casey
came into the picture,
it just kind of grew.
I'd like to thank
our special guest,
Kirby from Chimparty, and Mike.
Tonia: He's the one that
came up with the idea
to do the Hollywood stuff
and the Chimparty chimps.
[kids shouting]
reporter 1: The monkey
theme of Brittany Staub's
12th birthday party just
climbed to new heights.
Reporter 2: For a
fee, Connie Casey,
who owns a company
called Chimparty,
will show up at your
party with a baby chimp.
♪
[chimp screeching]
Angela: They made
a lot of money.
There's three great
apes, the gorilla,
the orangutan, and
the chimpanzee.
That's how they were able
to build big enclosures.
We hope to become a sanctuary
and kind of a, a place
for them to live.
Reporter: The most
expensive undertaking
is this $350,000 facility.
It's Connie and Mike's dream to
provide this natural habitat.
[music fades out]
[birds chirping]
[chimpanzee hoots]
These are Hallmark or
American Greeting cards
that Connor, um, did, um,
when he was a juvenile.
He did a lot of greeting
cards for, uh, like I said,
Hallmark and American Greeting.
Yes.
And a lot of 'em, if you
flip 'em over on the back...
Now, this is American
Greetings, so it doesn't say it,
but, like, the Hallmark
greeting cards.
I always tell everybody,
if you're gonna
buy a chimp card,
be sure it's a Connor card.
But if... these are
all American Greetings.
If you turn them
over, on the back,
it'll say "Chimparty
Chimp, Festus, Missouri,"
so you know it's one
of our greeting cards.
"Sorry, he was the only male
stripper I could afford.
Happy birthday."
Coming out of a cake.
Actually, coming
out of a present.
He's probably the most
notorious chimp for...
as far as, um, greeting cards.
He probably did the most.
[hooting]
Snack-wise, they
love the licorice.
Um, they love marshmallows.
Um,
the drinks is the biggest thing.
[chimps hooting]
I know!
That facility housed
One time, there was 42
chimps in that facility.
I'm telling you, it's
like potato chips.
You can't just have one,
and you can't just not have one.
Back then, they
had plenty of money
to take care of the
chimps that they had.
But then, when things
started falling out...
[curious music playing]
reporter: You'd have thought
James Dean or Leonardo DiCaprio
had just entered the room.
[harmonica playing]
Women were falling
all over each other
trying to get close to Kirby.
[people chattering]
He's cute, I want
to take him home.
Aww!
Angela: I worked for
Chimparty for years.
And after seeing
the whole thing...
it was not what I
thought it was gonna be.
[laughter]
reporter: The seven-year-old
chimp suddenly grabbed
a toddler's foot.
Mike Casey: I don't believe
Kirby meant any harm by it.
We have never ever
had any problem...
Oh, you want to say hi, too?
We've never ever had
any problem with Kirby.
But chimps are chimps,
and people are people,
and, uh, sometimes
in situations,
we can be just as
dangerous as they are.
[both hooting]
Angela: I heard a story
about a chimp named Bo.
Mike went into Bo's cage,
and in the blink of an eye,
Bo ran up, bit his nose off,
completely off of his face.
Connie had to go back into
the cage and find the nose.
A couple years
later, Bo had died.
I asked, "How?"
And Connie said
of natural causes.
But he was very young.
There were older chimps
that weren't doing parties.
They didn't get a
lot of attention.
They sit in a cage
and do nothing
all day long.
Peter: In my work as a
journalist, I've seen a lot.
Disasters, wars, murders.
But nothing prepared me
for walking into
Connie Casey's compound
and seeing a ghastly
prison for chimpanzees.
She was operating the
equivalent of a puppy mill.
[solemn music playing]
As there became an awareness
of what was going on
at places such as Chimparty,
efforts were made to cleanse it,
the equivalent of greenwashing.
Angela: Connie did finally
decide to go nonprofit
and change Chimparty into
Missouri Primate Foundation,
which was a 501[c][3].
But nothing was different.
[whimpering]
I was just overwhelmed
with grief.
I felt so sorry for the chimps.
I used to talk to the chimps
like I'm talking to you,
and I would tell them that,
"Someday, you're not
gonna be here anymore."
So, I called PETA.
♪
Reporter: The
animal rights group
People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals
dumping two tons of
manure outside the offices
of Ringling Brothers Barnum
and Bailey Circus last night.
♪
PETA's mission is to
protect animals from abuse,
neglect, and cruelty, it
really is that simple.
Activist [chants]: For the
animals, we will fight!
Protestors [chanting]: How
does Chrysler sleep at night?!
They're a great inspiration
to so many people
and so many activists.
I think I'd f*ck a croissant.
PETA's got very
good, very potent,
and very, you know,
eye-catching campaigns.
Protestors [chanting]: Set
them free. Set them free.
Set them free! Set them free!
Joaquin Phoenix: In
water, humans drown,
just as fish suffocate on land.
Protestors: Shame! Shame!
Shame! Shame! Shame!
Alan Cumming: And of
course, showing people
that activism brings results.
Reporter 1: PETA says it
finally convinced SeaWorld
to end riding on dolphins.
Reporter 2: Ringling Brothers
will start phasing elephants
out of its circus acts.
[protestors shouting
indistinctly]
Alan: Like any great
successful organization,
they are very polarizing.
But if your job is to
get people's attention
and to make change about issues
that you feel need
to be changed...
♪
By necessity, you're
gonna piss people off.
♪
Narrator: The Great Ape,
forced to perform on television
and in motion
pictures for decades.
- Could you live this life?
- [g*n c*ck]
[applause]
Thank you very much.
Um, I'm here today
because 21 years ago
I made a film and
met this little man.
The film was called
"Buddy," and I played...
In 1996, I did a
film called "Buddy."
[hooting]
The story of the film is
about a woman who has chimps,
but it's really
about the fact that,
you know, you can't
tame wild things.
You have to let
them be themselves.
You have to let them go.
Do you know where it
is? It's in Joe's ear.
The best thing for me was
I just got to cuddle chimps
all day long.
Tonka was one of the chimps,
and we had... we just
sort of fell in love.
Yeah, now that's much better.
Okay, then. Cheer up, big man.
Every morning, I
would walk on the set
and I would see him kind of
just so excited to see me,
and looking at his trainer and
look... just like, you know,
he couldn't leave his chair,
but he really wanted...
and the trainer
would go, "Okay,"
and he would run across the set
and leap into my arms.
It was magical.
And in Scotland we have a
word for it called "couthie."
If an animal or a
person is couthie,
it means they're
kind of, you know,
they kind of come
into you like that,
uh, in their personality as
well as their physicality.
They kind of... that's couthie,
they just want to be
like that with you.
And he-he was...
Tonka was couthie.
Tonka was about
five at that time,
and I didn't know that then,
but that was kind of
at the end of the time
that you can actually have a
sort of domesticated chimp.
[whimsical music playing]
My understanding of
what happened to Tonka
after his Hollywood career ended
was that he retired
to Palm Springs.
That's what I was told.
[chimps chittering]
And every time I would
go to Palm Springs,
'cause I always think
of Palm Springs as like,
old people and g*y people.
And then retired chimps
add... was added to my list.
So, I kind of always expected
to sort of bump into him.
[whimsical music continues]
[chittering]
[music fades out]
I'd done a few
campaigns with PETA.
And then they said to me
that they had found
this place in Missouri
where these chimps are
being kept in very poor,
terrible conditions, and
that one of them was Tonka.
[solemn music playing]
And they showed me a picture
of him in this inside cage
looking kinda...
uh, it was really...
[sighs] Just, it was
really upsetting.
Once they've done
their thing in showbiz,
and anyone could buy them in,
you know, all these
awful roadside zoos
and things like
that that you see...
PETA asked me to join
them in this campaign
to try and get those chimps out.
I just hope that Tonka will
be able to have the retirement
that I thought he
was going to have.
Angela: I knew that PETA
was going after Connie
and her chimps.
Thank you.
So, I felt like this
is an opportunity
to do what I've
always wanted to do.
[dog barking]
- Angela: Who's that?
- Speaker: It's Candy.
- [chimps hooting and screeching]
- speaker: Hi, sweetie.
Angela: PETA gave me these
glasses that had a camera,
and they just said, "Get as
much footage as you can."
[dramatic music playing]
Hi.
In my mind, I kept
telling myself,
"You are betraying
somebody that you love.
You know what's gonna happen
after this goes public."
It was... it was... I
can't even describe how...
I've... I hated myself.
I hate the fact that
I had to hurt somebody
to help somebody else.
Angela: I thought Connie
was a very nice person,
and she would tell me how
much she loved her chimps.
They had made their
bedroom into a cage
so that the younger chimps
could stay in there with them.
You got Baba?
And she genuinely
seemed to love chimps.
It's just, I guess we
have different definitions
of what love is.
- Hi.
- [dog barking]
Here, you wanna do a selfie?
Hi.
Jared Goodman: The
chimpanzees were being held
in virtually barren enclosures,
strewn with trash
and their own waste,
and this was, uh,
frankly unlawful.
So, in 2017, we decided
to proceed with a lawsuit
alleging that these conditions
in which the chimpanzees
were held constituted
a violation
of the Endangered Species Act.
Alan: The lawsuit
that PETA brought
wasn't just about saying,
"We're taking the chimps away."
It was saying, "We want
you to keep these chimps,
"provided you make these
changes in their conditions
and the way they're
looked after."
That's their motif.
I could tell you verbatim
how they handle a case,
and every case is a
cookie-cutter case.
That's my-my-my terminology.
They use the same forms,
they use the same,
um, brutality tactics.
[chimps screeching]
They don't want to
fix your problems.
They just want to
run you out of money
to get your animals from you.
I started working at Connie's
approximately six months
after PETA filed the lawsuit.
I never even drove one of
these until I came here.
I'm from the city, I don't
do this kind of stuff.
PETA did a 365-page report with
a professional veterinarian
saying we have all these
really serious problems.
sh*t.
♪
And I decided I'm
gonna fix everything
on that 365-page report.
♪
Just 'cause it was old doesn't
mean you can't fix it up.
Watch yourself. 'Cause
he's, he's gonna bang.
[banging]
[laughing]
Connie was very anxious
to spend all this money
to fight to keep her babies.
I said, "Don't worry about
it, they're your kids.
"How can they take your kids?
I mean, this is America.
"You know, the judicial
system will protect us
'cause we haven't done anything
wrong, they're your kids."
You want more snacks?
You got to do more. No, more.
No, not with your foot,
you got to do more snack.
More, good boy. More
snack, good boy.
Connie was getting
donated old produce.
That was one of PETA's concerns.
Now, they get fresh
veggies mainly.
Sugar snap peas, zucchini
squash, little peppers,
eggs for protein.
Primarily all this stuff
is bought from Walmart.
Tonia Haddix would
regularly post improvements
that they were making
to the facility
on her Facebook page.
Things like putting up a
new hammock or repainting.
If I was guesstimating how
much I've spent up here
from start to finish, I'd say
half a million dollars, mm-hmm.
Absolutely nothing approaching
a half a million
dollars' worth of work.
Tonia: I worked my butt off.
But PETA never came out
to see the improvements,
never came out to see
the quality of life
with these chimps,
'cause they don't really
give a sh*t about the chimps.
All they want is their
agenda furthered,
which is to have no
animals in people's care.
Come.
PETA has no empathy
for the person
that owns the animals,
or the love that they
have for those animals.
And that's what people just
really can't understand.
I fell in love with those kids.
- Come on.
- [grunting]
Come on, ready, ready,
ready, ready, ready, ready.
Ready, ready, ready,
ready, ready, ready, ready!
Come on!
It's just like every day,
you wake up into a new world.
What, Candy Cane?
What, baby girl?
They don't break your heart.
They're eager to please.
Can you hand me them papers?
Give me those papers,
shove them suckers
out there for me.
Thank you, boy.
They don't grow up and
get a mind of their own.
Silly man, silly man! Can
you show me your teeth?
Show me them nasty old
teeth of yours, boy!
They'll be your friend for life.
[hooting]
Nice to meet you, Tonka.
Tonka, can you clap?
Especially Tonka.
Stick out your tongue. Are
you gonna show me that?
Tonka was 38 years old,
and he was my best friend.
[laughing]
You even got a smile
on your face, boy.
[laughing]
Them chimps just suck you in.
They suck you in so quick.
Turn around.
You want me to
scratch your back?
I may sit out there
for hours with them
until 4 or 5 in the morning,
and then I'd go sleep
for a few hours,
get up and go clean their cages.
[chimps screeching]
It was my ultimate dream.
You want my shoe again? Oh
my goodness, he's so crazy.
You want them
shoes? You're crazy.
[softly hooting]
Any time they do that
noise, they're happy.
Eventually, I just
said to Connie,
"Sign 'em over to me."
And I said, "I'll take
the grunt of the lawsuit."
Jared: There is no apparent
reason for Tonia Haddix
to have taken ownership
of the chimpanzees
other than to try
to moot our lawsuit
and get it kicked out of court
because the owner of the
chimpanzees was not a party.
So, we were forced to join
her into the lawsuit in 2019.
And that, uh, certainly
kept it interesting.
[screeches]
[chimps screeching]
I'm trying to clean this cage,
so I need to lock
him out of this cage.
But I was gonna lock
this door and this door
because he's strong.
[banging]
[gate clangs]
Okay, that's a battle lost.
Out of all the chimps, I would
not want to encounter him.
Huh, boy? Huh, Kerry?
Reporter: You see the power
of Kerry in this interaction.
See, just like right
there, tried to grab me.
But see, I'm aware of that,
so I know what to do with him.
Reporter: Kerry is the
one who escaped right here
on Highway CC outside Festus.
Speaker [on video]: Oh,
my God, he's getting in...
Oh, he's robbing that
[bleep]! Oh, my God.
Reporter 1: Tonight
on the Fox Files,
an escaped chimpanzee in
Festus. It shocked people...
reporter 2: You can see the
animal try to get into a car.
Jared: After Tonia Haddix
became the legal owner
of the chimpanzees, there
were issues still arising
at the Missouri
Primate Foundation,
because she is not qualified
to care for chimpanzees.
She does not have
any formal training.
She's simply someone
who likes chimpanzees.
I have a rule of thumb. I
never walk away from a cage
unless I've got a lock on
it. Period, end of story.
'Cause it'd be so easy
to get called away,
and then the locks be off,
and there's no safeties
on these doors.
So, then you'd
have loose chimps.
Reporter: A controversial
primate facility in Festus
is under fire once again.
Reporter 2: A male
and female chimpanzee
escaped early Sunday afternoon.
It appears there was an
unsecured lock on the cages.
During the course of this case,
chimpanzees escaped
from the facility twice.
[Tonia speaking]
Jared: Remarkably,
Tonia Haddix's response
was that PETA might
have sent someone there
to unlock the cages.
That's how delusional she is.
Tonia's deadline to have all
the improvements completed
came and went.
She never formally
presented any of the changes
that she made to
the Festus facility.
It simply didn't happen.
So, we filed several
motions to transfer
all seven of the chimpanzees
to an accredited sanctuary.
All of these animals
have been c*ptive-bred,
so they can't just be simply
released into the wild.
The best we can do is
to put them in a setting
that approximates their
natural environment.
You know, she had her
chance, and she blew it.
That's really where it
all went wrong for her.
Dwayne: Alright, Tonia.
Morning, we're at the federal
courthouse here in St. Louis.
We have a contempt
hearing this morning.
- Tonia: Right.
- How's your head?
What are you feeling?
- And you just go.
- Okay.
Alright? And you smell
great, by the way.
Thank you. [chuckles]
[muttering indistinctly]
My eyes are... We... I was up
all night with the attorney.
Dwayne: Okay.
Whenever you're ready.
Um, well, I was up all
night with the attorneys.
They worked all hours.
We put five more, um,
motions in this morning.
Best case scenario, PETA
can't take the chimps,
and we can try to fight
this fair and square.
Worst case scenario would be
that I end up in jail today
until they come get the chimps.
I'm not saying I'm
not a little nervous,
'cause who wouldn't be?
But the fact of it
is, is I stand up
for what I believe in.
[emotionally] And I
believe in those chimps,
so that's all I care about
at this point, truthfully.
♪
Reporter 1: The animal
rights group PETA
successfully won a court order
to have the Festus chimps
moved to an accredited
animal sanctuary in Florida.
Reporter 2: A new court order
says all the chimps must go.
Reporter 1: Cameras
are prohibited
from being on the Festus
property during this seizure.
Jared: The judge found Tonia
Haddix in civil contempt,
ultimately ordering that
all seven of the chimpanzees
be transferred to
accredited sanctuaries.
I love these chimps more
than anything in the world,
and I mean more than anything.
More than my kids,
more than anything.
What I'm worried
about is do they think
that we abandon them?
How... I mean, you know,
they have a lot of huge
intel... intellectual statuses.
So, how-how do we know
what they're gonna feel?
And I know they're gonna grieve.
I know they're
gonna have issues.
I appreciate it,
Tonia, thank you.
I'll be in touch when
it's gonna be on.
- It might not be tonight.
- Okay. Okay.
That'll be great, thank you.
I'm not giving up, I
can tell you that much.
I'm not. Um, 'til
the fat lady sings,
I'm gonna try to beat PETA.
There he is. There's
the little f*ck now.
Jared: The United States
Marshal Service will be present
just to ensure a
smooth transfer.
We're hopeful that there
will be no hiccups.
We're looking to finally, uh,
just move these chimpanzees
to this professional
sanctuary environment.
- Okay, thank you, sir.
- Thank you.
- It was good seeing you.
- Good seeing you.
I-I'll let you know
when it's gonna run.
Okay.
[dramatic music playing]
♪
Dwayne: The good news is,
um, they didn't take her away
in handcuffs.
Although, the judge said
that Tonia has to stay
two miles away from the compound
as the move takes place.
- [music softens]
- [birds chirping]
♪
Tonia: We are just
prepping the chimps, um,
for PETA to come on property
to take the, um,
possession of the chimps,
um, starting 8 a.m. tomorrow.
It's gonna be the toughest
thing we've ever gone through.
For me, at least.
- Yeah.
- [chimp blowing raspberries]
Candy Cane's joining
in on the conversation.
She wants to say, "PETA,
you're stupid for taking us."
PETA said that they
can't wait to get them
transferred to a
professional sanctuary.
I have to be off the
property at 8 p.m.,
so, um, per PETA's orders,
[chuckles] believe it or not.
And um, so,
we'll have to shut out
the lights at 8:00, but...
we're gonna spend as much
time with them as we can.
[distant grunting]
[Tonia sniffles]
You know what, we should
get Happy Meals today.
That's their favorite.
Yeah, they would love 'em.
They love chicken
nugget Happy Meals.
I mean, love them.
One more.
You like them fries? If
you want 'em, have 'em...
[talking indistinctly]
[somber music playing]
You get to know each chimp,
and that's the sad part,
is that they're taking them
from the only home they know
with the caregivers that
know them their whole life
and know what they're
about, and um...
um...
putting 'em in a situation
that they won't even
know nothing about 'em.
[Candy whimpering]
See, Candy don't like me crying.
And Connor don't. They know.
[crying] They know.
They know I love them more
than anything in this world.
They know.
I've spent many years
with these guys,
taking care of them every day,
even whenever I've been sick.
They know.
[whispering] Huh, Candy Cane?
♪
[dogs barking]
We can take you no
further than right here,
the front of Connie
Casey's property
on State Road CC in Festus.
The U.S. Marshals are here,
accompanied by local
law enforcement
to watch over the
seizure of chimpanzees.
[U.S. Marshall speaking]
crew member: We're trespassing?
Yeah, you can't come on
property until we're done.
[crew member speaking]
Yeah, that'd be technically
off the property.
Crew member: Okay.
[radio chatter]
[drill whirring]
[intriguing music playing]
- So, nothing in here though?
- No.
But they would be
darting in here?
Yes.
♪
[crew member speaking]
Eric: Yeah.
[music fades out]
Dwayne: The chimps are
there, and the chimps are on
the other side there.
Eric: Here comes somebody.
["Please, Please, Please"
by James Brown playing]
- ♪ Please ♪
- ♪ Please, please don't go ♪
♪ Please, please don't go ♪
♪ Oh, yeah, oh, I love you so ♪
♪ Please, please don't go ♪
♪ Baby, you did me wrong ♪
♪ You know you done me wrong ♪
♪ Well, well, you
done me wrong ♪
♪ You know you done me wrong ♪
♪ So, you done,
done me wrong ♪
♪ Oh, oh, yeah ♪
♪ Took my love,
now you're gone ♪
♪ Please, please, don't go ♪
♪ Please, please,
please, please ♪
- ♪ Please, please ♪
- ♪ Please, please, don't go ♪
♪ Please, please, please ♪
- ♪ Please, please, don't go ♪
- ♪ Please, honey, please ♪
♪ Don't go ♪
♪ Well, oh well, girl ♪
♪ I love you so ♪
♪ Please, please don't go ♪
♪ I just want to hear
you say I, I, I ♪
- ♪ Please, please, don't go ♪
- ♪ I, I ♪
♪ I, I, I, I ♪
♪ Honey, please, don't go ♪
♪ Oh yeah, girl ♪
♪ I love you so ♪
♪ Please, please, don't go ♪
♪ Please, don't go ♪
♪ Please, please, don't go ♪
♪ Honey, please, don't go ♪
♪ Girl, I love you so ♪
♪ Please, please ♪
- [song ends]
- [latch clicks]
[sighs]
[police siren chirping]
Angela: I hated the fact that
they had to be scared at all,
because they had to
dart them all one by one
and put them in the truck.
But I'm, I'm very happy.
Eric: Do you have any regrets?
I wish I had done it sooner.
That's all.
Jared: The rescue
went smoothly,
and Tonia Haddix didn't show up.
But there was one major problem.
There was a chimpanzee missing.
["Stay Away" by Charles
Bradley playing]
[laughing]
reporter 1: The fight
over Festus chimpanzees
should be over, except
for new revelations.
Reporter 2: The chimpanzee
lady now making national news.
Reporter 3: A movie
star chimp named Tonka
and its disappearance.
It all has the makings
of a Hollywood plot,
but no, this is real life.
Alan: People fall in
love with these chimps.
And you know, when
you're in love,
your brain is out of control.
There's chemicals and hormones
and things happening to you
that makes you irrational.
♪
Tonia: Once I had chimps,
there was no way I
could do without one.
I'll do anything and
everything to keep them kids.
I've got to take every chance
I've got, 'cause you know what?
We might get lucky.
♪
[slot machine dinging]
[jackpot chiming]
♪ Monkey see, monkey do ♪
♪ I don't know why ♪
♪ I'd rather be dead
than be uncool ♪
♪ I don't know why ♪
♪ Every line had the rhythms ♪
♪ I don't know why ♪
♪ Let's move, love is blind ♪
♪ I don't know why ♪
♪ Stay, stay away ♪
♪ Stay away ♪
♪ Stay away, oh ♪
♪ Give it up, take a smile ♪
♪ I don't know why ♪
♪ Fashion shirt,
fashion style ♪
♪ I don't know why ♪
[song fades out]
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01x01 - Monkey Love
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Follows Tonia Haddix, whose love for a chimpanzee spins into a wild game with authorities and an animal rights group.
Follows Tonia Haddix, whose love for a chimpanzee spins into a wild game with authorities and an animal rights group.