Tonka from HBO’s Chimp Crazy was finally rescued after being kidnapped and is currently peacefully living in a sanctuary. However, a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lawyer revealed that there are still thousands of chimpanzees in the USA that have been purchased and are being kept as pets in private homes.
“We don’t know exactly how many primates there are being kept as pets in private homes because of the patchwork of laws across the United States and the many states where there are no laws at all, but the latest estimate is around 15,000,” Brittany Peet, Foundation General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement at PETA told Bored Panda.
Similarly to Tiger King, Chimp Crazy shed an alarming light on the US’ exotic animal trade. Moreover, Chimp Crazy became HBO’s most-watched docuseries in years and has blown up across the internet.
