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Update on Chimpanzee Rescue
Tonka, who had once worked in movies and live stage shows at the Los Angeles tourist attraction, Universal Studios, was sent to a breeding facility in Missouri when he became too big and dangerous to work in Hollywood (at only age 7). Tonka lived for over 20 years in Missouri with two devoted female chimpanzees (Tammy and Candy). He sired at least three infants with these two females – two of which ended up at the Center for Great Apes (Bentley and Chloe).
Two years ago as a result of a lawsuit, a judge decided that the remaining seven chimpanzees at the Missouri compound (including Tonka, Tammy, Candy, and Tonka’s daughter Chloe) all be moved to the Center for Great Apes. In fact, the owner of the Missouri facility (Connie Casey) also asked CGA to please take her chimpanzees in the event she was unable to keep them. However, a co-owner (Tonia Haddix) who had recently become involved in the legal situation, hid Tonka by lying and telling the court that he died.
Haddix claimed that because Tonka was hand-raised and once used in entertainment, he was “special” and falsely suggested he would not survive in a sanctuary situation. (Note: More than 50 of the Center for Great Apes’ residents have come from the same backgrounds as Tonka and have flourished at the sanctuary. In fact, Birds & Animals, the original owner of Tonka in California retired two other of their chimpanzees (including Brooks who is Tonka’s younger brother) and seven former performing orangutans at our sanctuary.)
Last July...Tammy, Candy, Connor, Kerry, Mikayla, and Chloe were all moved by the Center for Great Apes’ veterinarians and caregivers to our sanctuary. However, instead of sending Tonka to CGA along with his family and long-time companions, Haddix secretly sent him to an unaccredited zoo for a few months and then moved him again to a cage in her house basement.
When it was discovered last week that Tonka was in fact alive, CGA was contacted to see if we could take Tonka immediately. But with the recent arrival of eight more chimpanzees from the Wildlife Waystation in California, we had no available space for him yet. (Construction is underway for a new chimpanzee nighthouse with outdoor areas, but due to many construction delays, it will not be ready for additional chimpanzees until later this summer.)
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