ST. LOUIS 鈥 The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on Friday offered a $10,000 reward for information about a former movie chimp that was reported dead by its caretaker last year.
PETA and the caretaker, Tonia Haddix, have been fighting in federal court for years over the chimp, Tonka, as well as the fate of others housed at the Missouri Primate Foundation facility in Jefferson County, near Festus.
PETA claims the chimps were not being properly housed or cared for, allegations Haddix has denied.
Haddix did sign a consent decree agreeing to send four of the chimps to a sanctuary. She was to keep three, including Tonka, but failed to comply with the order鈥檚 requirements to house her three chimps, PETA said.
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In July, Jefferson County sheriff鈥檚 deputies and the U.S. Marshals Service oversaw the removal of six chimps from the facility, but Haddix said the 38-year-old Tonka had died of heart problems. Her husband filed an affidavit in court saying he cremated the body.
The other chimps are now in an animal sanctuary, PETA said.
PETA filed motions last year asking a federal judge to hold Haddix in contempt of court for failing to properly document Tonka鈥檚 death and at a January hearing presented evidence casting doubt on Haddix鈥檚 claims.
But U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry declined to hold Haddix in contempt. She said Haddix had provided inconsistent and implausible evidence of the chimp鈥檚 death and cremation but added that she was not convinced that Tonka was still alive.
鈥淚鈥檓 certainly not saying that he is dead,鈥 Perry said during the hearing, adding, 鈥淚 cannot find that he is still living.鈥
Perry did give PETA an opportunity to revisit the issue if they found more evidence.
PETA on Friday offered up to $10,000 for information leading to either the location of Tonka or confirmation of his death.
Foundation owner Connie Braun Casey and her then-husband also once ran Chimparty, which supplied chimps for parties, commercials and other activities. Tonka appeared with actor Alan Cumming in the movie 鈥淏uddy.鈥
PETA asks anyone with “pertinent information” to call 757-622-PETA or submit tips at .
