Alan Cumming Offers $10k For Information On Missing Chimpanzee Co-Star

Alan Cumming made his film debut in 1986 with the short film Passing Glory by Gillies MacKinnon. Alan fans adore him for his mischievous smile and impressive versatility, but he now has another endearing quality to add to the list. Alan recently offered a ten-rack reward for any information on the whereabouts of a missing Chimpanzee co-star.

Alan Cumming is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who has information about Tonka, the missing chimpanzee who co-starred in the 1997 family comedy “Buddy” with him and Rene Russo. Tonka was last seen in a cage at the now-defunct chimpanzee breeding facility Missouri Primate Foundation in Festus. Chimpanzees were bred at the site and then rented out for movies and parties or sold to private owners.

According to Variety, PETA has added a $10k reward to the total reward of $20,000 for information about Tonka’s whereabouts.

“During the months we filmed together, baby Tonka and I became good friends, playing and grooming each other and just generally larking about. It’s horrible to think he might be in a cage in a dark basement somewhere or have met some other fate, so I’m appealing to whoever knows what has become of him to please come forward claim the reward.”

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PETA originally filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Primate Foundation over the chimpanzee’s living conditions, claiming the animals “had been warehoused in often filthy, virtually barren enclosures.” The animal rights group obtained permission to relocate Tonka and six other chimpanzees to an accredited sanctuary, but Tonka was missing when PETA arrived in July 2021 to complete the transfer.

“Owner Tonia Haddix claimed that [Tonka] had ‘died,’ but told various stories that didn’t add up and failed to prove that this was the case. She had previously stated that PETA would never get him. In January, a judge found that mystery surrounds the primate’s disappearance and that Haddix’s testimony was not credible, leaving PETA and Cumming to try to determine his whereabouts or perhaps his final resting place.”

“If you know where Cumming’s former co-star may have been shipped, sold or hidden away, PETA wants to hear from you,” PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet said.

“If he’s still alive, Tonka deserves to live out the rest of his days surrounded by chimpanzee friends at a lush sanctuary, as ordered by the court, and someone out there might be able to help PETA get him there.”

Anyone with information should contact PETA at 757-622-PETA or submit it online at  PETA.org/Tonka. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

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