Cheetah the chimp from 1930s Tarzan flicks dies

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

80    I just did'nt know a monkey could live that long.


PALM HARBOR, Fla. — A Florida animal sanctuary says Cheetah the chimpanzee sidekick in the Tarzan movies of the early 1930s has died at age 80.

The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor announced that Cheetah died Dec. 24 of kidney failure.

Sanctuary outreach director Debbie Cobb on Wednesday told The Tampa Tribune ( http://bit.ly/rRuTeJ) that Cheetah was outgoing, loved finger painting and liked to see people laugh. She says he seemed to be tuned into human feelings.

Based on the works of author Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Tarzan stories, which have spawned scores of books and films over the years, chronicle the adventures of a man who was raised by apes in Africa.

Cheetah was the comic relief in the Tarzan films that starred American Olympic gold medal swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. Cobb says Cheetah came to the sanctuary from Weissmuller's estate sometime around 1960.

Cobb says Cheetah wasn't a troublemaker. Still, sanctuary volunteer Ron Priest says that when the chimp didn't like what was going on, he would throw feces.

[Spirited-6]

Cheetah . RIP.  I remember him in the movies when I was a "KID". Wait, I never was a kid. 

[alph]

he would throw feces.

i've always wanted to do that!!  some times things just get me ticked off enough to do it!! 

[LadyDraco]

Dang out lived all the Tarzan's !!!

RIP....Cheetah 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Dang out lived all the Tarzan's !!!

RIP....Cheetah 

Tracy send me a e-mail so I can get your new e-mail address....I thought I saved the new one but I think I deleted both the old and new when going through my addresss book 

[MacDragon]

I saw pretty much all of the Tarzan movies and Cheetah was a riot... TrunkMonkey reminds me of him.

 
Rest in peace cheetah.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

he would throw feces.

i've always wanted to do that!!  some times things just get me ticked off enough to do it!! 

DON'T DO IT .....

[Jack]

AND he was a better actor than all the Tarzans. 

[Gary]

he would throw feces.

i've always wanted to do that!!  some times things just get me ticked off enough to do it!! 

Takes a lot of practice to master an accurate distance sling, be sure to consume mass quantities of solids well in advance. 

[ChromeDome]

AND he was a better actor than all the Tarzans. 

I thought he was the best actor period.

[DIGGER]

I saw that in the news this morning and was just "blown away"......never dreamed Cheetah was still alive, didn't know Chimps lived that long.    He was an icon in my childhood days......ha.  I haven't seen an old Tarzan movie in a very long time......I'll have to see iffin I can rent one.  I used to watch them religously.     

about 10 yrs ago the wife and I went to Hollywood.   Took a tour and on the tour was the home Johhny Weismuller built there.    It was in the richy Hollywood Star area.......had a moat that encircled the 5 acre property .    He got his exercise swimming in the moat around the place.   He was an Olympic Swimmer.   

[Willow]

... didn't know Chimps lived that long.   

Normally they don't.  Life expectancy for a chimpanzee in captivity is 50 - 60 years.

Five years ago there was a celebration for Cheetah declaring him the oldest living chimp.

How sad to have the final line said of an eighty year life the he "sometimes threw feces."    

I hope that doesn't happen to me.    

[Serk]

... didn't know Chimps lived that long.   

Normally they don't.  Life expectancy for a chimpanzee in captivity is 50 - 60 years.

Five years ago there was a celebration for Cheetah declaring him the oldest living chimp.

How sad to have the final line said of an eighty year life the he "sometimes threw feces."    

I hope that doesn't happen to me.    

I can think of worse things then that if you make it to 80 and than have your obituary written about you....

It could say "Gets REALLY irritated and throws feces at people who improperly use "then" and "than"" 

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Cobb says Cheetah wasn't a troublemaker. Still, sanctuary volunteer Ron Priest says that when the chimp didn't like what was going on, he would throw feces.

They coulda stopped that or at least made it tough for him if they'd fed him Strohs beer.

[BradValk48237]

I resemble that remark!!!! (See oil filter!)



I just hope I live that long and can still be able to throw SOMETHING....

Brad

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I resemble that remark!!!! (See oil filter!)



I just hope I live that long and can still be able to throw SOMETHING....

Brad

[Jeff K]

News is now saying it may be a hoax

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Six of those movies were made at Silver Springs, Florida, near Ocala.  Chimps and smaller monkeys were brought in for the films, and the small apes were left to inhabit the area.  They took natuarally to that environment, and still turn up, sometimes in suburban neighborhoods.

Silver Springs is now operated as a for-profit "nature-theme park".  Although Tarzan and Jane are gone, you can come see Merle Haggard, Jaunary 14, 2012.

   

[donaldcc]

News is now saying it may be a hoax

 Oh NO! Don't tell me it is possible that someone (Cobbs) may have not been completely truthful when talking to the press.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/cheetah-the-chimp-death-hoax_n_1173404.html

 I just never know what to believe anymore.  ???  Oh well, by tomorrow I will forget I read either story so can go through the whole thing again.  Heck, I can forget the beginning of a movie or book by the time I get to the end.    

 Guess i'm easy to entertain.  I just get one good movie and one good book.  Get to read the book and watch the movie over and over and enjoy them everytime.  

[Jack]

... didn't know Chimps lived that long.   

\

How sad to have the final line said of an eighty year life the he "sometimes threw feces."    

I hope that doesn't happen to me.     [/i]

ROFLMAO! 

[scoot]

he would throw feces.

i've always wanted to do that!!  some times things just get me ticked off enough to do it!! 

Takes a lot of practice to master an accurate distance sling, be sure to consume mass quantities of solids well in advance. 

Just be careful not to hit the fan .