Chimp Crazy: From Tonka To Prison, LakeExpo Coverage
LakeExpo's full coverage of the ongoing legal troubles for Tonia Haddix and her husband Jerry Aswegan related to her concealment of Tonka, a famed chimp, in her basement.
Missing Movie Star Chimp 'Tonka' FOUND At Lake Of The Ozarks After Owner Fakes His Death
UpdatedA chimpanzee who starred in George of the Jungle and Buddy has been found alive in Sunrise Beach after a $20,000 reward had been offered for information on his whereabouts and the owner allegedly faked the animal's death.
The chimp named Tonka, according to an exposé by Rolling Stone, was declared dead in Missouri court records filed by his owner Tonia Haddix, who claims Tonka suffered a stroke and later died from heart failure. She went on to say that Tonka’s body was burned in a fire pit.
Photo of Tonia Haddox from her Facebook.
She reportedly wove the tale of Tonka's death after being ordered by a judge to turn over some of her chimps to a sanctuary in Florida. According to information from PETA, Haddix was thought to have had six chimps, but she told the judge one — Tonka — had died and had been incinerated.
According to a PETA press release, the animal-rights organization didn't believe Tonka was dead, and offered a $10,000 reward for information about Tonka's whereabouts. Alan Cumming, who starred in Buddy alongside Tonka, doubled the reward.
PETA says they received a recording of a phone call where Haddix stated that Tonka was alive. The animal rights organization has been in an ongoing legal battle with Haddix. PETA filed an emergency court order for authorities to search Haddix’s home in the 1800 block of Sunrise Beach, Mo., where they found Tonka alive.
A photo of Tonka supplied by PETA of where they and US Marshals found him in Sunrise Beach -- PETA image
According to Rolling Stone, Tonka “reportedly had a 60-inch TV, an interactive iPad-like touch device, and had celebrated St. Patrick’s Day among a few of Haddix’s close friends,” although PETA says that Tonka had been primarily kept in a metal cage bolted to the ground.
After the raid, Tonka was transferred to Save the Chimps in Florida, and according to PETA's Deputy General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement, Brittany Peet, he has been adjusting well.
Tonka at the Florida sanctuary -- PETA image
"After he was released, he climbed to the top of his enclosure and looked at his surroundings. He even had a friendly greeting with another chimp named Cheetah. He was calm and curious and it couldn’t have gone any better," Peet said.
Tonka photographed at Florida sanctuary -- PETA image
Behind The Scenes
Tonka was originally given to Haddix by Connie Casey, who runs the Missouri Primate Institute in Festus, Mo. Peet called Casey the "primary breeder of chimpanzees for the entertainment industry" and Casey was also the breeder of the chimpanzee in Connecticut who ripped a woman’s face off. The Festus facility has also had numerous documented chimpanzee escapes in the past few years, PETA told LakeExpo.
Tonka and six other chimpanzees were transferred from Casey to Haddix after a lawsuit from PETA targeted Casey. Transferring Tonka appeared to be an attempt to avoid further legal trouble but looks to have been largely unsuccessful.
"All it really did was bring Tonia Haddix in as a defendant in the lawsuit," Peet said.
The legal battle between PETA and Haddix had resulted in a judge ordering Haddix to limit the number of chimps she could legally have on her property. Haddix allegedly faked the chimp’s death to avoid a judge’s order to turn over Tonka and other chimpanzees to a great ape sanctuary in Florida.
Peet told LakeExpo, "Last summer, a judge ordered PETA to confiscate all 7 remaining chimpanzees at Missouri Primate foundation after Haddix failed to comply with the agreement. When PETA arrived in Festus, Missouri we were able to confiscate six chimpanzees that day, but Tonka was missing. Tonia said he died, including under oath in federal court, and when she was asked to produce the body she said her husband burned him in a burn pit and there was nothing left of his body. PETA never believed her story and we never stopped searching for Tonka. We ended up issuing a $10,000 reward that led to Tonka’s recovery."
Photo of Tonia Haddix from Facebook with another monkey
According to Peet, Tonka’s saga of movie star to living in a basement isn’t unusual for chimps.
"When chimpanzees are used in the entertainment industry, in movies and TV, those are babies. Once they start to become adolescents they become much too dangerous to interact with the public, so they get dumped at roadside zoos and private owners. Tonka was dumped with Connie Casey when he was around 6 years old," Peet said.
And privately owned chimpanzees and other exotic animals are especially common in Missouri.
"Unfortunately, Missouri is a haven for the private ownership of exotic animals," Peet said. "There are virtually no laws restricting or regulating the ownership of exotic animals."
Haddix couldn’t be reached for comment for this story. But in a Rolling Stone interview, she said Tonka was her "'best friend,' saying if PETA takes him away from her, she’ll die."
Movie Star Chimp 'Tonka,' Found At The Lake, Is Now Living Happily In Florida
UpdatedIt was the missing persons case that grabbed headlines from here at the Lake of the Ozarks to Rolling Stone Magazine: Hollywood chimpanzee Tonka was discovered in his former owner’s basement in Sunrise Beach nearly a year after she faked his death. Now a new video narrated by Alan Cumming, Tonka's co-star in the 1997 film Buddy, shows the chimp as he is today: alive, thriving, and—like many lucky older adults—retired in Florida.
Tonka in the Save the Chimps sanctuary
Photo courtesy of PETA
“Tonka was transferred to the lush, tropical Save the Chimps sanctuary, where he is looked after by caring staff and where he spends most of his time outdoors, soaking up the sunshine and feeling the cool rain on his skin, with other chimps right there beside him,” Cumming explains. “So Tonka got his happy Hollywood ending and will live the rest of his life in safety and peace.”
That Hollywood ending nearly didn’t happen. When PETA first tried to carry out a court order rescue Tonka and six other chimpanzees from the Missouri Primate Foundation, his former owner, Tonia Haddix, falsely claimed that he had died and that her husband had burned the animal’s body to ashes. But PETA didn't believe the story and the animal rights organization and Cumming offered a joint $20,000 reward for information about Tonka. A phone call recording came to light in which Haddix admitted that Tonka was still alive—and that she planned to “euthanize” him. PETA went to court, obtained an emergency order to prevent his death, and arranged for 24/7 surveillance to ensure that he wasn’t moved again. Tonka was evaluated by expert veterinarians, who found not only that he wasn’t suffering from “congestive heart failure” as Haddix had reportedly claimed, but they say she was also apparently giving him massive doses of drugs that he didn’t need.
Tonka found in Sunrise Beach
Photo courtesy of PETA
PETA arranged to transport Tonka to Save the Chimps, a Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries–accredited great-ape rehabilitation facility. According to PETA, after enduring months in a cramped basement cage, Tonka now embraces every opportunity to climb to the top of his spacious enclosure, interact with his chimpanzee neighbors, and spend as much time as he can outdoors—even when it starts to rain.
Love, Lies, And Lawsuits: The Unbelievable Saga Of 'Chimp Crazy' Tonia Haddix And Tonka The Chimp
Updatedvideo by Rickie Smith / LakeExpo.com
This is a love story—albeit a crazy one.
For Tonia Haddix, nothing beats her special affinity for chimpanzees: one retired (famous) chimp in particular. It’s clear as day when you speak with her. She might even tear-up, recalling memories during her time at the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation and speaking candidly about the beloved chimp that she would do anything for. “I fell in love with Tonka.”
Tonka is a retired Hollywood chimp who ended up in Haddix’s care. She loves him — and talks about him — like one of her own children: “I will always love Tonka because he is my son, even though he wasn't biologically mine.”
Haddix, an exotic animal broker and former nurse, operates the Sunrise Beach Safari in Sunrise Beach, Mo., near Lake of the Ozarks, along with her husband Jerry Aswegan.
But Haddix isn’t the only one who loves chimps, particularly Tonka.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals shares a deep commitment to animals, claiming “we are all the same.” The organization advocates for animal rights across various industries, challenging the view that humans are the superior species and pushing for compassion toward all animals, including pets.
After Haddix faked Tonka’s death in hopes of being able to keep the chimp, she faced a lawsuit from PETA, leading to a multi-year saga that involved her family and even brought in notable figures like actor Alan Cumming.
Haddix and PETA’s heated story made headlines for years, but its fame attained a new height thanks to a four-part documentary series on HBO.
Chimp Crazy, an HBO docu-series directed by Eric Goode of Tiger King fame, premiered on Aug. 18, 2024, and followed the lives of multiple “chimp moms.” But the main focus was Haddix, as the series explored her deep bond with Tonka as well as the complexities and risks of raising captive primates.
The show made her famous: visitors to her Sunrise Beach Safari can be seen searching for Haddix, in hopes of snagging a selfie… maybe with a sloth in the background. But Haddix calls Chimp Crazy a “very cheap documentary,” assembled in search of a certain narrative.
Lies, Love, & Lawsuits
It all started with a single deception.
Those familiar with Eric Goode’s Tiger King know the salacious storytelling and intrigue: it was arguably the most-buzzed-about TV show from a year (2020) when Americans spent quite a bit of time indoors watching TV. So the Chimp Crazy producers used a proxy director, former circus clown and animal trainer Dwayne Cunningham.
Dwayne Cunningham
“They knew if I knew it was Eric Goode entertainment, I never would’ve consented. I’m not like Tiger King because I do care about my animals,” Haddix said.
Now she feels betrayed, saying of Cunningham, “He sold not just me but all the animal people... He did it for a dollar, and that concerns me more than anything in this world because you sold out something you love.”
Drawn to chimps after owning monkeys for 20 years, Haddix became involved with chimpanzees when she paid $300 to interact with a baby at Connie Casey’s Missouri Primate Foundation in Festus, Mo. (previously known as Chimparty).
“I got myself, hook, line, and sinker,” Haddix mused. “If you’re an animal person, it’s not a good idea to get around a chimp—then you’ll want one yourself!”
After falling in love with the species, Haddix began helping Casey regularly.
But meanwhile, tensions between PETA and the Missouri Primate Foundation were growing. PETA had filed suit, and soon federal agents would raid the foundation headquarters to seize the chimps… but not before Haddix took the reins, essentially inheriting seven chimps from Casey in 2018.
While PETA’s interest in the chimps led them to wage legal battles, Haddix spent an increasing amount of time with and doting on the primates.
“PETA filed an endangered species act lawsuit against the facility and its operator on behalf of the chimpanzees there,” said Brittany Peet, a lawyer for the organization who also featured in the documentary. The facility reportedly had been racking up violations for years, like “unsanitary enclosures, housing chimpanzees in conditions where there was so much built up urine, that the ammonia smell burned the nostrils of the USDA inspector.”
Peet claimed transferring the chimps to Haddix was an attempt to dodge the lawsuit, saying they were being given to someone without proper training or experience. As a result, Haddix was added as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
According to her, filming started around 2019.
Taking Tonka
Eventually, all parties signed a consent decree allowing Haddix to keep three chimps, including Tonka, if she could provide the appropriate enclosure, hire a trained caregiver, and demonstrate proper care. When Haddix reportedly did not meet these terms, the court ordered all seven chimps to be relocated to an accredited sanctuary. However, Haddix says the deck was stacked against her because of the timing.
“As soon as I signed that agreement, COVID hit,” Haddix said. “Nobody could have built it in their time frame. There was no way because everything was shut down.”
Knowing the feds were coming, Haddix took a dramatic step to keep her “kid.” She faked Tonka’s death.
“I just made a bad choice out of love,” Haddix said. “I happened to fall in love with a chimpanzee and wanted to keep him safe.”
When agents arrived to remove the primates, they took six chimps to The Center For Great Apes in Florida. But Tonka was missing, with Haddix claiming he had died and she had burned his body. PETA began searching for the chimp all over the country, even offering a $10,000 reward that was matched by Alan Cumming, who had starred in the 1997 film Buddy with Tonka and never forgot the chimp.
But the film crew knew what PETA later learned: Tonka was still alive.
“She had actually transported him illegally to a roadside zoo in Ohio, then subsequently again illegally transported him back to the state of Missouri,” Peet said, adding that Haddix was then “keeping him in a tiny cage in her basement.”
The chimp 'Tonka' at Tonia Haddix's home. PETA reported another chimp was found in Haddix's home in July 2025.
All throughout this saga, the Chimp Crazy documentary team was filming with Haddix. They even filmed at the Union Ridge Wildlife Center in Ohio (where Haddix temporarily kept Tonka) and Haddix’s home in Sunrise Beach.
The day before U.S. Marshals and PETA arrived at the facility in 2021, the crew set up cameras to continue filming while they were barred from the property during the seizure. Haddix says they saw Tonka that day, and she’s frustrated because the filming team isn’t being held to the same level of scrutiny that she is, despite knowing she had hidden Tonka from federal agents.
The film crew debated the pros and cons of revealing that secret in the show. But Goode finally stepped in when Haddix called Cunningham to explain that her vet had suggested Tonka be euthanized for congestive heart failure—a diagnosis PETA said was false, in the series.
“I wasn’t gonna do it. I had no intention because he wasn’t quite there yet,” Haddix said of the suggestion to euthanize Tonka.
According to the narrative depicted in the show, the crew told PETA the truth for fear of Tonka dying. But Haddix — deeply hurt by Cunningham — believes they only did it to create an explosive ending to the series.
“He (Cunningham) was lying to me, saying ‘I love ya, T,’ every time I talked to him,” Haddix said. “That was the real hard thing, that he betrayed me. That’s the part you really don’t get over very well.”
Whatever the reason, the result was that Tonka was seized and taken to Save the Chimps, another sanctuary in Florida.
Diretor Eric Goode meets with Tonia Haddix for the first time.
Haddix has not seen any of the chimps since they were relocated, though she argues she has the right to visit them under the same consent decree for which she’s facing contempt charges. She claims that both the Center for Great Apes and Save the Chimps haven’t allowed her visits or returned her calls.
“I never made a dime off them,” Haddix said of the chimps. “I just love those chimps genuinely and wanted them to stay in the only home they’ve ever known.”
In her eyes, the entire ordeal was “never fair,” with what she describes as bias from the start in court.
PETA is urging federal authorities to prosecute Haddix for allegedly committing perjury in federal court regarding the status of Tonka and for obstruction of justice. The court has also ordered her to pay PETA over $200,000 in attorney's fees and costs—which Haddix said the crew promised to pay.
“Tonia Haddix brazenly defied court orders on camera and made a mockery of the justice system in front of an international audience in order to deprive a chimpanzee of a real life,” Peet said. “PETA is asking the court to hold Haddix and her accomplices in this scheme accountable for flagrantly flouting the law.”
The group filed a motion Oct. 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, marking PETA’s sixth motion of contempt against Haddix. As an email subject line from PETA’s Moira Colley stated: “‘Chimp Crazy’ Evidence May Land Docuseries Villain Tonia Haddix in Contempt of Court.”
Then on Nov. 23, another PETA press release stated:
Judge Catherine Perry of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri has just ordered the United States Attorney’s Office to make a charging decision regarding PETA’s allegations of criminal contempt and perjury against Chimp Crazy villain Tonia Haddix by December 16. Furthermore, she has indicated that if the Attorney’s Office declines to prosecute, then her Court will appoint a private attorney to prosecute the criminal charges—meaning that Haddix is guaranteed to face federal criminal charges.
This could spell jail time for Haddix.
While PETA clearly views Haddix as the enemy to be defeated (they call her the “villain” of the HBO docu-series), Cumming said he can empathize with her and the other “chimp moms.”
“I really do understand the deep love,” Cumming told the New York Times in an interview published in Aug. 2024. “But that’s hurting the animal; the animal’s not getting to live the life they were supposed to live.”
The Backyard Safari
“They even said that they’re not gonna stop until I’m dead,” Haddix said of PETA. “That’s pretty harsh comments to make from a not-for-profit organization.”
Indeed, the organization isn't stopping at federal charges. Peet said PETA wants Haddix’s USDA license revoked for her roadside zoo.
Haddix has been running Sunrise Beach Safari with her husband since August 2023. They opened with animals that Jerry had in a mobile petting zoo, but Haddix says she wanted to settle down and thought a safari would be a great, family-oriented attraction at the Lake.
Exotic animal ownership is legal in Missouri, as long as the owner has a permit through the state’s Department of Agriculture's Division of Animal Health. Large carnivores, among others, have much stricter requirements, but the state is generally considered one of the friendliest to exotic pet owners.
Currently open Thursday – Sunday, the 27-acre Sunrise Beach Safari offers visitors the chance to feed and pet animals plus have close-up encounters with exotic creatures, like a baby kangaroo or Sydney the sloth. But PETA wants it shut down.
“They are trying to take my license because of me lying to the federal court judge… it has nothing to do with my care,” Haddix said. “I’m deficiency free. I’ve never had a write-up.”
She encourages people to actually go out and see the zoo for themselves to form an opinion.
“They’re going to have to have reasons to shut it down,” Haddix said. “Am I afraid of them coming and doing that? No, because we do what’s right by the animals.”
PETA is discouraging anyone from visiting the safari, in hopes of making it unprofitable, and says the Lake community should pass an ordinance banning the possession of exotic animals.
“There is a woman in your community who is not trained or educated in primate husbandry or welfare, who is keeping highly dangerous animals in her home,” Peet said. “She had a chimpanzee in her basement for three months. She claimed in numerous interviews that she let him out of his cage in the basement, and if that’s true, he could have easily broken out of her home and become a lethal danger to the community.”
According to Peet, the business should not be supported so the alleged abuse and exploitation of animals comes to an end. Haddix claims she could still keep the animals if her license was revoked, though in other cases of licensure revocation, the animals have been transferred to licensed facilities.
“Anyone who watched Chimp Crazy and was moved by the stories of the animals, and who cares about animals in general, should stay as far away from Tonia Haddix’s roadside zoo as possible,” Peet said.
What Tonka Needs
In the middle of this toxic love-triangle is Tonka.
The 33-year-old chimp was born at Working Wildlife and later used in Hollywood films like George of the Jungle and Babe: Pig in the City.
When Tonka was brought to Save the Chimps sanctuary in June 2022, the Florida facility said he was overweight and pale due to a poor diet and confinement. After a quarantine period, Tonka was introduced to two other rescued chimpanzees, Jacob and Cayleb, and they formed a close bond.
Cayleb, Andrea, and Tonka engage in a grooming session.
Now part of a larger family of 17, Tonka enjoys a fulfilling life in a spacious 3-acre habitat, where he participates in social interactions, grooming sessions, and enrichment activities like painting, according to Save the Chimps.
“If he’s happy, that’s all I care about,” Haddix said. “But he’s not happy, and you can tell by his eyes.”
Haddix argues that Tonka is adapting to his new environment out of necessity, not choice. She accuses Save the Chimps of using his situation to gather donations while ignoring his well-being. TMZ reported Save the Chimps’ donations increased by 200% the month after the show aired.
Haddix believes Tonka would still willingly go home with her after two-and-a-half years apart.
"He deserves to have a warm blanket, an ice cream sandwich, and a goodnight kiss every night before bed,” Haddix said.
She says she had hoped to help Tonka live out his days in peace.
But Save the Chimps says he’s finally getting that: “Tonka’s first three decades were filled with loneliness and trauma, but every day, he embraces his new forever home at Save the Chimps with grace and resilience.”
Banning Chimp-Ownership
Following the show’s finale, PETA announced a $10,000 reward for information that leads to law enforcement seizing chimpanzees suffering in roadside zoos, private facilities, and the pet trade.
The group is also pushing for a bipartisan bill that would prohibit private ownership of primates in the United States. A similar bill targeting big-cat owners, the Big Cat Public Safety Act, was passed following Tiger King.
“Haddix’s business is an exotic animal broker, and a lot of what she does is sell infant primates into the pet trade to people who have no idea what they’re doing or what they’re getting into,” Peet said. “These are incredibly dangerous animals, even small primates who can easily bite your ear or nose off. Most of these animals end up buried in the backyard with a bullet in their head.”
Introduced in April 2024, the Captive Primate Safety Act would prohibit private ownership, private breeding, and all commercial activity involving primates used in the pet trade. There would be some exceptions for preexisting owners, registered research facilities, and entities transferring primates to compliant holders.
Haddix expressed her willingness to help end the captive breeding of chimpanzees, a position she claims has been clear in her conversations with the animal rights group. But she contends that primates accustomed to captivity should be allowed to live out their lives in familiar environments, rather than being relocated based on what others see as "better" conditions.
“Leave these kids alone and let them die the way that they have lived their whole life,” she argued.
If the act were to pass, regulations for enforcement would be established within 180 days, and current primate owners would need to register their animals with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
While Haddix no longer has Tonka, she still has more than 20 monkeys. She believes PETA is targeting her because she won’t back down, and she intends to continue speaking out.
"I'm not gonna shut up," Haddix said. “I’m going to stand up for what’s right, and they’re sticking their nose into business that doesn’t belong.”
Despite facing possible jail time, Haddix is committed to raising awareness about what she sees as interference. For her, the goal is to ensure that others—and their animals—don’t face the same struggles she has, regardless of her own future with the chimps.
So who's the the hero and who's the villain in this Chimp Crazy love story? That's for viewers to debate.
But at its core, one thing unites all the parties involved: an undeniable devotion to chimps, and especially to a world-famous chimp named Tonka. People will do crazy things for love.
READER POLL: Who's The Villain?
Who's the villain in this Chimp Crazy love story?
End Of The Road? ‘Chimp Crazy’ Star's License To Be Revoked, Shutting Down Lake Area Safari
UpdatedSUNRISE BEACH, Mo. — 'Chimp Crazy' star and local zoo owner Tonia Haddix is set to lose her animal welfare license April 22 unless she appeals a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture order.
The USDA order would not only ban Haddix from legally selling USDA-regulated animals, including primates, but operating the Sunrise Beach Safari at the intersection of Route TT and MM as well.
"Tonia Haddix locked a highly social chimpanzee inside a tiny cage in her basement and repeatedly lied under oath to keep him in her clutches," said PETA Foundation General Counsel Brittany Peet in a press release. "The USDA did the right thing to stop Haddix from hurting more animals, and PETA will ensure she stays on the right side of the law or else face the consequences."
If an appeal is not filed, she cannot have an Animal Welfare Act license to exhibit and sell animals for two years.
LakeExpo reached out to Haddix, who declined to comment.
Previous Coverage
This is a love story—albeit a crazy one.
'Chimp Crazy' Tonia Haddix Faces Prison After Guilty Plea For Lying, Obstruction In PETA Chimp Case
UpdatedST LOUIS, Mo. — The "Chimp Crazy" star and Sunrise Beach Safari owner Tonia Haddix pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice Monday after a long legal battle with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Missouri said she formally admitted lying in court about the death of Tonka the chimpanzee during the federal civil suit, which was originally filed by PETA in 2016 against the now defunct Missouri Primate Foundation. She also admitted that her false statements hampered the justice administration in the suit.
Haddix waived her right to indictment and has pleaded guilty to three felony charges: two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice.
For years leading up to this moment, PETA had sought multiple motions of civil contempt against Haddix, and pushed for criminal contempt after Tonka was confirmed and found alive.
“Despite repeatedly being warned by the District Court about the consequences of flouting the consent decree and court orders and being given ample opportunity to come into compliance, Haddix continued to defy the Court,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “She then repeatedly lied about Tonka’s death while she was under oath.”
"Tania Haddix swore to tell the truth under oath and then proceeded to blatantly lie to a federal judge," said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “There is no excuse."
Haddix's sentencing is scheduled for July 16. Each perjury charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The obstruction charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the same fine range.
"PETA hopes that Haddix's sentence will include jail time so she can get a taste of the suffering she condemned Tonka and other animals to," said the organization in a press release Monday.
Ingrid Newkirk, PETA's President, added, "When PETA and U.S. Marshals found where Haddix had hidden Tonka, he was alone, locked in a tiny cage in Haddix's dark basement...now Tonka spends his days at a beautiful sanctuary roaming a three-acre island, climbing, basking in the Florida sun, and, most importantly, spending time with other chimpanzees—and Haddix must now face consequences for her selfish, cruel actions."
Related Coverage
SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. — 'Chimp Crazy' star and local zoo owner Tonia Haddix is set to lose her …
This is a love story—albeit a crazy one.
Judge Orders Arrest Of ‘Chimp Crazy’ Star Tonia Haddix In Ongoing PETA Battle
Updatedvideo by Rickie Smith / LakeExpo.com
LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — The legal battle between PETA and "Chimp Crazy" star Tonia Haddix has escalated after a St. Louis County Circuit Court judge ordered her and her husband's arrest.
Haddix gained global notoriety from the HBO docuseries “Chimp Crazy,” which followed her fight with PETA over a group of chimpanzees. The saga took a wild turn when she falsely claimed one chimp, Tonka, had died—only for him to be found alive in her basement in Sunrise Beach.
Since 2023, Haddix as run a local zoo from her home at the intersection of Route TT and MM. She was set to lose her animal welfare license however, which would shutdown the safari.
And shortly after the USDA order, Haddix pled guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice. Depending on the sentencing—scheduled for Aug. 7—Haddix could spend multiple years in prison.
But that battle hasn't been resolved in other ways.
According to court documents, Haddix has not appeared to multiple depositions and has failed to pay $224,404.24 in attorneys' fees and court costs awarded to PETA last year.
On Monday, Judge Brian May found Haddix and Gerald Aswegan in contempt of court, issuing a $100 daily fine until they began rectifying the obligations.
Judge May also issued an Order for Body Attachment to sheriffs in St. Louis County and Camden County to take Haddix and Aswegan into custody. They could be detained until a hearing scheduled for Aug. 5.
Each of their bonds were set at $2,500.
The Camden County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the warrant for Haddix’s arrest but said she has not been taken into custody. While deputies have not yet attempted to serve it, she could be booked and released with a court date, pending guidance from the U.S. Marshals.
Related Coverage
ST LOUIS, Mo. — The "Chimp Crazy" star and Sunrise Beach Safari owner Tonia Haddix pleaded g…
SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. — 'Chimp Crazy' star and local zoo owner Tonia Haddix is set to lose her …
This is a love story—albeit a crazy one.
You can say plenty about life at Lake of the Ozarks, but you can't say it's boring.
video by Rickie Smith / LakeExpo.com
It was the missing persons case that grabbed headlines from here at the Lake of the Ozarks t…
A chimpanzee who starred in George of the Jungle and Buddy has been found alive in Sunrise B…
'Chimp Crazy' Star Arrested After Failing To Pay PETA $224k
Updatedvideo by Rickie Smith / LakeExpo.com
CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — Tonia Haddix is behind bars. The star of the HBO series Chimp Crazy, who became infamous for faking the death of a famous chimp was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Saturday afternoon, July 19.
Haddix's arrest comes after a St. Louis County Court order issued by Judge Brian May. The judge says Haddix failed to pay PETA the $224,404.24 in court and lawyer fees required by a U.S. District Court ruling. PETA had successfully sued Haddix over her keeping of multiple chimps and her operation of a wildlife zoo in Sunrise Beach, Mo., near Lake of the Ozarks. A garnishment order had been issued to multiple businesses: Primarily Primates, LLC; Sunrise Beach Safari, LLC; and Lake of the Ozarks Wilderness Safari Co. Haddix is listed as the registered agent for all three businesses.
The order for Haddix's arrest mandates she be held until an Aug. 5 hearing in St. Louis County Court. The arrest order was issued on July 14, 2025, simultaneous to an Order of Contempt and an Order Imposing Fines against Haddix's businesses.
Background
ST LOUIS, Mo. — The "Chimp Crazy" star and Sunrise Beach Safari owner Tonia Haddix pleaded g…
SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. — 'Chimp Crazy' star and local zoo owner Tonia Haddix is set to lose her …
You can say plenty about life at Lake of the Ozarks, but you can't say it's boring.
This is a love story—albeit a crazy one.
It was the missing persons case that grabbed headlines from here at the Lake of the Ozarks t…
A chimpanzee who starred in George of the Jungle and Buddy has been found alive in Sunrise B…
Another Chimp Found In 'Chimp Crazy' Tonia Haddix’s Basement, As Legal Troubles Deepen
UpdatedSUNRISE 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.”
'Chimp Crazy' Tonia Haddix Sentenced To Nearly 4 Years In Prison
UpdatedST. LOUIS, Mo. — The infamous star of the Emmy-nominated HBO series Chimp Crazy, Tonia Haddix, was sentenced Thursday to 46 months in prison in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis after pleading guilty to two felony counts of perjury and one felony count of obstructing justice.
Haddix was also sentenced to 3 years supervised release.
Haddix and her husband Jerry Aswegan are due back in state court on August 12 for ignoring orders to hand over financial records and other related documents to PETA.
Last month, authorities announced that they had discovered another chimpanzee concealed in the same basement cell where Haddix had kept the famed chimp Tonka.
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LakeExpo's full coverage of the ongoing legal troubles for Tonia Haddix and her husband Jerry Aswegan related to her concealment of Tonka, a f…
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