Chimp Crazy

Ignore the bad reviews. Probably an honest 7.5 rating, but, unfortunately, misguided "one" ratings need to be balanced in the equation.

This series does not glorify exotic animal ownership. Quite the opposite, in fact. The docu-series exposes what's wrong with owning primates, and sheds some needed light on some of the truly unhinged people that own (or want to own) them. In NO way does it advocate for owning chimps.

It's a natural follow-on to "The Tiger King", with a "colorful" main character, who thinks PETA is the problem. Exotic animals are beautiful, and compelling in many ways, but in no way should they be brought into people's homes and treated like pet or family members. If you are an animal lover, and enjoyed "The Tiger King", this series warrants a look.

First off, I'm a dog owning omnivore & not a fan of a lot of PETA's nonsense. Renaming fish "kittens of the sea" & whatnot. "Vegan" leather is plastic garbage in a year.

HOWEVER... here we appear to be in 100% agreement. Plus I love Alan Cumming. He's really quite lovely in his passion about this particular case.

This woman should not EVER be allowed to own ANY kind of animal again, & ESPECIALLY not a primate of any kind. NOBODY should be allowed to own a chimp, orangutan or higher primate of that nature. Every single person shown owning one was genuinely mentally unwell. Willing to abandon their husbands, children, entire lives for their ape "child." They are completely disconnected from reality & enabled by their husbands, people around them, & lax/nonexistent federal laws.

The conditions these animals are kept in are so inhumane. Tonia flat-out lies & says Tonka had "free run" of several rooms that people ALSO had access to, plus large glass windows w/ no bars. Yet not once do we EVER see her interact with him without big bars between them because while she's delusional, she's not THAT stupid (though after episode 4... apparently she is).

Those involved with this show are also HUGE enablers as well for letting her get away with what she was doing for so long.

The show glosses over the fact that she pays for the chimps by trafficking other exotics & primates. Nobody who TRULY cares for animals would be a part of that. Seriously. That's absolutely awful.

This, like most "reality" programming, feels like exploitation of people who are stupid, desperate, lonely, narcissistic &/or mentally ill. Like a 21st century version of circus freak shows.

At least in this case it's the animals that "win" (the ones that don't die anyway) and wealthy white people that suffer in the end.

I recently watched Chimp Crazy (2024) on MAX, a highly recommended docuseries that explores the life of a woman who raises chimpanzees from infancy to adulthood. The series delves into her legal battles with PETA, as well as the challenges she faces with her loved ones and the chimps as they mature. Additionally, she's involved in the exotic animal trade, and the docuseries shares tragic side stories from others who have raised animals purchased from her.

Created by Eric Goode (Tiger King), this series is a fascinating character study of someone whose obsession with animals and it becomes their identity. There are also some unsettling undertones regarding the relationships formed with these animals. As expected, much of the story is sad from the animals' perspective, but it's equally wild when viewed through the lens of human behavior. The things people do with these animals are unbelievable, and when the chimps attack-if and when it happens-you almost feel it's justified, given their nature and the unnatural situations they're placed in. The series serves as a stark reminder that, no matter how much we try to train them, animals are still animals at heart.

In conclusion, Chimp Crazy is a gripping exploration of the complex relationship between humans and wild animals, making it a must-watch for fans of Tiger King or Grizzly Man. I would rate it 8-8.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

Right off the bat the most shocking thing about this documentary is the way these people feed their pet chimpanzees - McDonald's Happy Meals, ice cream, donuts, Gatorade - wow. I get wanting to give your pet a treat but no wonder Tonka was overweight when he was rescued. It can't be healthy for a wild animal to eat things like sugar and processed fast food.

But it just serves as an example to show you how ignorant these people are, they're not trained animal handlers or vets or wildlife specialists. It's honestly a little creepy how much these women love primates, to the point of obsession. I've always thought chimps were ugly so I don't get the appeal at all, especially knowing they can rip your face off on a whim once they get past the age of five.

This documentary was gripping, horrific, wild, hilarious and just mind blowing! It's hard to believe that there are people out there living their lives this way.

I've seen people criticise Eric and the crew for their decisions throughout this documentary. Without giving too much away, I personally think they made the right decisions. Tonka or any chimp, primate, wild animal etc should not have to live in those conditions, but Eric and the crew are not PETA nor are they law enforcement. They are there to create a documentary and spread awareness about this wild way of living, they are there to observe and to tell the story of all sides. Personally I think they made the right decision at the right time.

Certain parts of the doc were incredibly difficult to watch/listen to. I must have asked myself "what is wrong with these people?" multiple times through each episode. The love they have for these chimps is very strange, but fascinating.

An excellent documentary! Well done to everyone who was involved in creating it.