The chimpanzee Tonka, who has starred in films such as Buddy and George of the Jungle, was found alive by PETA after being previously pronounced dead by its owner in a bizarre twist.
A chimpanzee actor who starred in George of the Jungle was found alive after discovering that his owner had faked his death.
In May of last year, the chimpanzee Tonka died of heart failure after suffering a stroke.
The old animal starred alongside actors Alan Cumming and Brendan Fraser, and his alleged death and cremation was confirmed by his owner Tonia Haddix in a statement last year.
In a bizarre twist, Tonka was found alive.
Haddix is believed to have faked his death amid an ongoing legal dispute with PETA.
The animal rights organization echoed Tonka’s false death earlier this month.
The charity suspected Haddix lied about the animal’s death.
After partnering with Alan Cumming to offer a £ 20,000 reward for information on Tonka, PETA has won an emergency court order allowing authorities to search for the elderly chimpanzee on Haddix’s property.
The research followed a whistleblower’s claim last August that Haddix had admitted that Tonka was still alive.
Tonka was found hiding in a basement of Haddix’s home in Sunrise Beach, Missouri, and PETA said the animal was found to be overweight and kept in a cage nailed to the basement.
PETA has since released a statement saying the animal “probably needs urgent care” after “nearly a year of isolation.”
The group also said it “would engage an independent veterinarian to assess whether Tonka is healthy enough to travel to an accredited sanctuary where she can receive the expert care she needs.”
For her part, Haddix admitted that she lied about Tonka’s death and shared her opinion that Tonka would struggle to survive the trip to the shrine, as well as the lack of human contact.
Reportedly, he told Rolling Stone: “Tonka can’t stand it.
“If anyone knows Tonka, Tonka is no ordinary chimpanzee. He is a popular chimpanzee because he was bred for film shooting and doesn’t care about other chimps.
“He doesn’t behave like another chimpanzee, he likes people.”
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Source: Dailystar
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
