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7.3/10
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Former nurse-turned-exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, spends her days caring for animals in captivity. However, her love for one chimpanzee in particular spins into a wild cat-and-mouse gam... Read allFormer nurse-turned-exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, spends her days caring for animals in captivity. However, her love for one chimpanzee in particular spins into a wild cat-and-mouse game with authorities and an animal rights group.Former nurse-turned-exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, spends her days caring for animals in captivity. However, her love for one chimpanzee in particular spins into a wild cat-and-mouse game with authorities and an animal rights group.
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When I seen Eric Goode had done another documentary, as much I "loved" tiger king. As much it was more for the human drama side. I enjoyed the animal side of it. And all I felt was pity for them.
I'm left feeling peoplecthat take part in those exotic animal ownership have deep routed issues beyond having something that relies on you. And it makes me sad these animals are pretty freely available for them to project this onto.
This doc in the first half made me think maybe she is doing right he won't survive in a new group but the more you watch you realise how inhumane she's actually being to poor Tonka. You see the sadness in his eyes, from his jail cell she calls his home.
I thought it done a good job on the undercover journalism side and the professionals side. It gave it from both points of view and allowed her story to be shared. But ultimately the correct thing was done.
Could have cried at Tonkas new lease of life.
The other featured controversial stories were eye opening.
So it wasn't biased it showed all angles....
I've came out with the view it is wrong. They are not "children" not for "entertainment".
I'm left feeling peoplecthat take part in those exotic animal ownership have deep routed issues beyond having something that relies on you. And it makes me sad these animals are pretty freely available for them to project this onto.
This doc in the first half made me think maybe she is doing right he won't survive in a new group but the more you watch you realise how inhumane she's actually being to poor Tonka. You see the sadness in his eyes, from his jail cell she calls his home.
I thought it done a good job on the undercover journalism side and the professionals side. It gave it from both points of view and allowed her story to be shared. But ultimately the correct thing was done.
Could have cried at Tonkas new lease of life.
The other featured controversial stories were eye opening.
So it wasn't biased it showed all angles....
I've came out with the view it is wrong. They are not "children" not for "entertainment".
These chimp mommies and PETA fanatics are all psychotic, but are on the extreme opposite of the spectrum. This documentary is very revealing about the mindset of both groups and their obsession and compulsion is a very sad and disturbing commentary on the ability of human emotion to defy logic and reason. Naturally, It would be best if Federal law would prohibit the private ownership of exotic animals. This documentary is a testament to the absolute fact that these exotic animals cannot be fully domesticated, and that is especially true for chimpanzees. These chimp mommies depicted in this film love their chimp babies so much and are so emotionally attached to them that they are willing to keep them incarcerated when they grow beyond the cute and cuddly stage. The film makers probably had no idea that they would be uncovering and depicting a serious mental illness associated with these chimp mommies. This film also reveals how members of PETA on the other hand are also compulsive and ultimately militant in their obsession to control and prohibit the private ownership of animals. Their emotions are also so out of control that they come off in the film, as they do in public spectacles, as frenzied fanatics seeking to prove their virtue to the world. This documentary is difficult to watch at times, but is informative and casts a light on a serious situation that needs to be remedied by Congress.
10vandalz
Ignore the bad reviews. Probably an honest 7.5 rating, but, unfortunately, misguided "one" ratings need to be balanced in the equation.
This series does not glorify exotic animal ownership. Quite the opposite, in fact. The docu-series exposes what's wrong with owning primates, and sheds some needed light on some of the truly unhinged people that own (or want to own) them. In NO way does it advocate for owning chimps.
It's a natural follow-on to "The Tiger King", with a "colorful" main character, who thinks PETA is the problem. Exotic animals are beautiful, and compelling in many ways, but in no way should they be brought into people's homes and treated like pet or family members. If you are an animal lover, and enjoyed "The Tiger King", this series warrants a look.
This series does not glorify exotic animal ownership. Quite the opposite, in fact. The docu-series exposes what's wrong with owning primates, and sheds some needed light on some of the truly unhinged people that own (or want to own) them. In NO way does it advocate for owning chimps.
It's a natural follow-on to "The Tiger King", with a "colorful" main character, who thinks PETA is the problem. Exotic animals are beautiful, and compelling in many ways, but in no way should they be brought into people's homes and treated like pet or family members. If you are an animal lover, and enjoyed "The Tiger King", this series warrants a look.
I found this documentary hard to watch due to its overwhelming sadness and delusional ideology of those whom think it's acceptable to lock up and breed wild animals. How anyone can say they love these beautiful animals more than anything yet totally are unable to recognise that these animals are not PETS and locking them in cages dressing them up and feeding them happy meals is a total selfish narcissistic self serving and nothing to do with bettering any animals life! A lot of Americans seem to be obsessed with owning species that should NEVER be owned . Seems the US are not big on laws when it comes to wildlife protection.
... and I am so every time, it is, and should be, the default. You can see even my signin on is the genus for the whale known as orca - I AM an animal person, a 'non-human' person - so it's difficult for me to review a documentary on the treatment of animals and do so unbiased or merely to look solely at the technical merits of the docuseries and not the subject of the docuseries - which is the treatment of these chimpanzees.... or is the subject, the humans that captivate, care and grow to love them? Emphasis on the 'captivate' - but granted they DO love, I mean LOVE them and I get it, I do - I really do
I want to say that I truly believe that there are situations, where on occasion the welfare of the animal and the desires of a humans like Tonia, correspond, and I'm all but certain that she means all the best and wants all the best for her primate cousins - however.... ya However, ULTIMATELY it's definitely in the best interests of the animals (and ultimately the humans as well as CERTAINLY the environment and ecosystems of the planet) that PETA's ideology and tactics win the day - I understand that's harsh to suggest, to say that Tonia, who has ostensibly given her time torwards the betterment of these primates, as it relates to thier (and hers) immediate 'wants' and shortsighted needs but sheesh... We have to, now (more than ever and forever more) no longer function 'shortsightedly' - and yes I do realize that when an organism is born within and to captivativity - new fascists are created as to what's 'best' or even 'possible' for the individual and it's a very difficult catch-22, however and again we as the captors and the SELF PROCLAIMED "dominant" species of earth, SELF PROCLAIMED 'superior' species of earth - must not continue to behave shortsighted - we know better let's BEHAVE better, let's behave SELFLESSLY
Please, I IMPLORE YOU - and to Tonia and others , I say 'I'm so very sorry for your loss, your losses and your grief - ironically I'm filled with the same empathy torwards you as am I to the chimps - I don't want you to hurt either - I hope that you can come to peace with this and that you can find a suitable compromise where you can still visit with your loved ones (and I know they are 'loved ones') but try and do so as inhumanely (and i know that sounds like I should mean 'humane' but the definition of 'humane' is to 'act or behave like a human' and to me, that has always meant 'selfishly' as to what's best for the individual) and to do so with the most farsight as you can muster - and thank you for all of your efforts - I KNOW you mean well :)
I want to say that I truly believe that there are situations, where on occasion the welfare of the animal and the desires of a humans like Tonia, correspond, and I'm all but certain that she means all the best and wants all the best for her primate cousins - however.... ya However, ULTIMATELY it's definitely in the best interests of the animals (and ultimately the humans as well as CERTAINLY the environment and ecosystems of the planet) that PETA's ideology and tactics win the day - I understand that's harsh to suggest, to say that Tonia, who has ostensibly given her time torwards the betterment of these primates, as it relates to thier (and hers) immediate 'wants' and shortsighted needs but sheesh... We have to, now (more than ever and forever more) no longer function 'shortsightedly' - and yes I do realize that when an organism is born within and to captivativity - new fascists are created as to what's 'best' or even 'possible' for the individual and it's a very difficult catch-22, however and again we as the captors and the SELF PROCLAIMED "dominant" species of earth, SELF PROCLAIMED 'superior' species of earth - must not continue to behave shortsighted - we know better let's BEHAVE better, let's behave SELFLESSLY
Please, I IMPLORE YOU - and to Tonia and others , I say 'I'm so very sorry for your loss, your losses and your grief - ironically I'm filled with the same empathy torwards you as am I to the chimps - I don't want you to hurt either - I hope that you can come to peace with this and that you can find a suitable compromise where you can still visit with your loved ones (and I know they are 'loved ones') but try and do so as inhumanely (and i know that sounds like I should mean 'humane' but the definition of 'humane' is to 'act or behave like a human' and to me, that has always meant 'selfishly' as to what's best for the individual) and to do so with the most farsight as you can muster - and thank you for all of your efforts - I KNOW you mean well :)
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- ConnectionsReferenced in Film Junk Podcast: Episode 959: The Deliverance (2024)
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