R.I.P.
Cheetah, Tarzan’s Chimp Sidekick, Dies At 80
By Elizabeth C.
CHEETAH, THE IRONICALLY NAMED CHIMP WHO CO-STARRED WITH Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan movies, has passed on to that great jungle in the sky.
The 80-year-old chimpanzee suffered kidney failure and died last Saturday at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Fla. He had lived there since 1960 — 20 years past life expectancy for chimps in captivity. He had been conveniently “discovered” as a newborn by an animal trainer on a trip to Africa in April 1932, according to the Daily Mail.
Cheetah outlived Weissmuller, the former Olympic gold medal swimmer who starred as Tarzan and died in 1984 aged 79. The chimp was reportedly one of four used in the filming of Tarzan films in 1934. Debbie Cobb, the sanctuary’s spokeswoman, described him as an outgoing chimp who loved to finger paint, listen to Christian music and watch football — and hurl dung at offending visitors.
“He was very compassionate,” Cobb told CNN. “He could tell if I was having a good day or a bad day. He was always trying to get me to laugh if he thought I was having a bad day. He was very in tune to human feelings.”
But he no doubt at one time had a cheeky side as Mia Farrow, the daughter of the Maureen O’Sullivan who starred as “Jane” in the Tarzan series, tweeted: “Cheetah the chimp in Tarzan movies died this week at 80. My mom, who played Jane, invariably referred to Cheetah as ‘that bastard.’
Tributes are pouring in at the sanctuary’s website written in many different languages.
In addition to being a movie star, Cheetah had a star on Palm Springs’ Walk of Stars, and he made the 2005 Guinness World Record for being the oldest non-human primate. His final role was in 1967 when he appeared as Chee-Chee in Doctor Dolittle, according to Britain’s Channel 4.
“A movie icon for sure,” someone named “Rita” commented at Suncoast’s website. “I purchased one of Cheetah’s finger paintings several years ago and it hangs proudly on our dining room wall.
“This little man was almost human,” wrote Anonymous. “Some of the antics he got up to used to make me laugh when I was in my teens many years ago. Thanks cheetah for all the good times you had and made us all laugh. You will be a star that will be always remembered. I am in my 60’s now and grew up with you.”
Here’s a few clips of the cheeky monkey in the movies:
