Much of the advance publicity for “Chimp Crazy,” a new four-part HBO documentary series, has been playing up its connection to “Tiger King,” the Netflix docuseries that introduced viewers to the bizarre world of Joe Exotic, the big cat zookeeper who went to prison for trying to have his nemesis, conservationist Carole Baskin, killed, and who was convicted of other crimes related to his treatment of wildlife. The “Tiger King” comparisons aren’t surprising, considering “Chimp Crazy” is directed by Eric Goode, who co-directed “Tiger King.” Like that 2020 sensation, “Chimp Crazy” deals with humans who are obsessed with exotic animals, in this case, chimpanzees.
The central character in “Chimp Crazy” is Tonia Haddix, who makes a living as an exotic animal broker and talks at exhausting length about her devotion to chimpanzees. Haddix calls herself “the Dolly Parton” of the chimpanzee world. Haddix recalls how she came to start what turned out to be a tumultuous journey by volunteering at something called the Missouri Primate Foundation, a fancy name for a facility run by a woman who was breeding and selling chimps, and also keeping some animals, which she made available for commercial work.
For example, one of the chimps, named Tonka, appeared in movies such as “George of the Jungle” (1997), “Buddy” (1997), and “Babe: Pig in the City” (1998). Tonka winds up at the center of what came to be an extended legal battle between Haddix, who k.