Posted for the benefit of the "I didn't even know he was still alive" Freepers like myself.
Posted on 12/27/2011 4:11:38 PM PST by Brandonmark
Cheetah the chimpanzee, who acted in classic Tarzan movies in the early 1930s, died of kidney failure Saturday at Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, a sanctuary spokeswoman said.
Cheetah was roughly 80 years old, loved fingerpainting and football and was soothed by nondenominational Christian music, said Debbie Cobb, the sanctuary's outreach director.
He was an outgoing chimp who was exposed to the public his whole life, Cobb said today.
"He wasn't a chimp that caused a lot of problems," she said.
Cheetah acted in the 1932-34 Tarzan movies, Cobb said. Movies filmed during that timeframe starred Johnny Weissmuller and include "Tarzan and His Mate" and "Tarzan the Ape Man," according to the Internet Movie Database.
Sometime around 1960, Cheetah came to the sanctuary from Weissmuller's estate in Ocala, Cobb said.
In the wild, the average chimp survives 25 to 35 years and at zoos chimps typically live 35 to 45 years, she said.
Cheetah, the most famous of the sanctuary's 15 chimpanzees, liked to see people laugh.
"He was very compassionate," Cobb said. "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."
Ron Priest, a sanctuary volunteer for seven years, said Cheetah stood out because of his ability to stand up – shoulders tall, back straight – and walk like a person.
Cheetah also stood out for another reason, Priest said: "When he didn't like somebody or something that was going on, he would pick up some poop and throw it at them. He could get you at 30 feet with bars in between."
It doesn't appear Cheetah had any children, Cobb said.
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.tbo.com ...
Posted for the benefit of the "I didn't even know he was still alive" Freepers like myself.
I didn’t know chimps could live so long.
Man—childhood memories of watching the Tarzan movies on Sat mornings with my dad. Who would’ve thought Cheetah could last this long?
There were from five to seven Cheetahs over the years the original died a long time ago—First one was back in the silents.
Nor did I...and that's 80 years in human years, not dog years.
Ahhh.
RIP.
Good long run.
My all-time favorite was when Cheetah found a magnifying glass and case of dynamite! So funny!!!
About a month ago I read (here on FR?) that in fact this was NOT the chimp in the movies. The original passed on long ago, and this was just one they obtained and named “Cheetah” so the money wouldn’t stop. I’ll try to find the article.
They should have sent him to D.C. for a field trip. Would have needed a supply wagon for all the dung, though.
¨Cheetah, ungawa!¨ ping
Now that’s a good-looking family.
I heard that Johnny used to bail Cheetah out of the zoo in the Fifties and drive him around in his convertible.
No more monkey business..he has gone on to that simian castle in the sky to be with bongo,bubbles,koko,albert,grape ape and curious george.
But, not the flyiing monkeys from the Wizard of Oz. They are in fiery pits of monkey hell! Bad monkey Bad!
If Tarzan and Jane are Jewish, what is Cheetah?
A fur coat.
If Tarzan and Jane are Italian, what is Cheetah?
The Other Woman.
If Tarzan and Jane are Polish, what is Cheetah?
GIFTED!
It clearly says that this one starred in the '30s movies.
Fact checking is fundamental, ****er, is my bias for the media.
/johnny
The family might have looked like that picture on their first day in the jungle but after a week, they’d be looking really rough.
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