Another Chimp Found In 'Chimp Crazy' Tonia Haddix’s Basement, As Legal Troubles Deepen

SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. — Just days after her arrest by U.S. Marshals, authorities say another chimpanzee has been discovered in the basement of Tonia Haddix’s home—the same location where the once-missing chimp Tonka was previously found hidden.

Haddix, who gained notoriety through the HBO docuseries Chimp Crazy, was taken into custody Saturday, July 19, following a St. Louis County court order. A judge found her in contempt for failing to pay more than $224,000 in court and attorney fees to PETA, related to a civil Endangered Species Act case. She’s being held until an August 5 hearing.

According to PETA, the newly discovered chimp was kept in a small, enclosed basement space in violation of a federal court order that permanently bans Haddix from possessing chimpanzees. The prosecutor in her separate federal criminal case is now asking the court to revoke her bond, which would keep her jailed until sentencing on August 7. Haddix previously pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction charges for lying about Tonka’s whereabouts.

“Tonia Haddix has again defied court orders and locked a highly social chimpanzee in a tiny basement cage, without the companionship of other chimpanzees, appropriate care, or even the ability to feel sunlight on her skin,” says PETA Foundation General Counsel Brittany Peet. “This person clearly won’t stop hurting animals unless and until she’s facing a long stay behind bars herself, and PETA is calling for the court to issue her the harshest possible sentence.”