According to local St. Louis media Fox 2, Tonia Haddix, the core figure of HBO's documentary series "Orga Crazy" (Chimp Crazy), was sentenced on Thursday46 months federal jail.She was sentenced for committing two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice in investigating the suspected death of her star pet chimpanzee "Tonka".
As the HBO documentary shows, Hardix once owned a chimpanzee breeding base in Festus, Missouri, which rented the primates for various special events, birthday parties, TV commercials and filming.However, an accidental escape of a chimpanzee in 2020 has sparked widespread public doubts about the way it treats animals.Animal rights group PETA then stepped in to investigate and transferred the animals from her care to a more suitable primate shelter through a court order.
Hardyx resisted the order for years.When federal officials finally came on duty, she claimed that her most famous chimpanzee, Tonka, had passed away before they arrived.Tonka is an "old actor" who has appeared in several Hollywood blockbusters such as Prince of the Forest and Buddy.Although his natural death seems reasonable, the timing is questionable.
When Hardyx lied to a federal judge about Tonka's whereabouts, the "dead" chimpanzee was found in the basement of her new home on the shore of Lake Ozark, Missouri.This discovery directly led to her arrest.In March, she pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice.Tonka was then taken to Save The Chimps Animal Shelter in Ford Stewart, Florida.
In July of the bail period, the authorities found an unregistered chimpanzee in her basement, violating the bail terms.At present, the allegations against the incident are still in the appeal stage.
"Toniya Hardix is finally in prison and has tasted the suffering she has plagued into animals - those lives imprisoned in iron cages and deprived of the right to live in nature. PETA is pleased by the realization of justice and calls on the public to support the Captive Primate Safety Act to prevent more ruthless dealers like Hardix from continuing to harm innocent animals." ——Brittany Peet, General Counsel for Animal Law Enforcement, PETA Foundation
Directed and produced by Eric Goode, the creator of Tiger King, details Hardix’s relationship with Tonka and her growing tense confrontation with PETA until her arrest.The film contains key shots: Hardix lies in court and Goode reporting her actions to PETA.The documentary premiered on HBO in 2024 and is now available on the HBO Max platform.
