Who is Jerry Aswegan? Co-conspirator in Tonka’s infamous case continues to 'endanger' exotic animals
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: HBO's docu-series 'Chimp Crazy' explores Tonia Haddix's obsession with a chimpanzee named Tonka, now 32 years old, who was among several other chimps under her care after he retired from Hollywood. When she was ordered to hand over Tonka to an animal sanctuary, she faked his death and kept him in a cage in the basement of her house in Missouri. In her lies, accompanied by her husband Jerry Aswegan, who continues to endanger the lives of exotic animals and people for entertainment purposes.
Emmy-nominated filmmaker and conservationist, Eric Goode, aims to highlight people's bizarre obsession with wild or exotic animals while subtly pointing out the dangers it poses for those animals and people. Amid Goode's attempt to create awareness, Jerry Aswegan, the co-conspirator in Tonka's fake death case, continues his practice of petting exotic animals as part of his venture.
Jerry Aswegan pets exotic animals for 'entertainment' services
Jerry Aswegan is the owner of A to Z Exotic Animals Adventures, a venture founded by him in 1993 due to his love for animals. This journey dates back to 1985 when he started his animal farm with a pet lion.
Spread over 50 acres, A-Z Exotic Animal Adventures is home to several animals, ranging from Red Kangaroo, Miniature Donkey, Zebra, Spider-Monkey and Arabian Dromedary Camel. "We bring the animals to you" reads the tagline of his business venture that provides these animals for experiences such as pony rides, and camel rides, along with hosting Birthday parties, Nativity Scenes, and Parakeet Adventures.
Inside PETA's scathing report about Jerry Aswegan's A-Z Exotic Animals Adventures
After reportedly helping his wife and lying in court to block Tonka, the chimpanzee's transfer to a sanctuary, Jerry Aswegan continues to endanger exotic animals and the public. PETA obtained USDA documents citing A-Z Exotic Animal Adventures, for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act, in September 2022.
It was found out that in 2020, he auctioned 20 animals at an exotic-animal auction in Tennessee, as per a report by PETA. On top of it, several safety issues were reportedly spotted during an inspection on his property where the animals are kept. There were only two employees on the site, making it a terribly small manpower to oversee the operations.
Moreover, there was allegedly no proper barrier between the camel corral, and the public was able to make face-to-face contact with the animals, which threatened the well-being of both animals and people. The inspectors concluded that the safety negligence at his property could easily turn into tragedy. Despite PETA's criticism over Aswegan's practices, he continues to run his venture as of 2024.
How to stream 'Chimp Crazy'?
'Chimp Crazy' is a four-part docu-series produced by HBO Documentary Films and Goode Films. It is scheduled to premiere with first episode coming Sunday, August 18. Fans will be able to stream it on Max from 10 pm onwards.
The streaming giant will drop the subsequent episodes the following Sundays till its conclusion with fourth episode on September 8. Fans can watch the series by purchasing Max subscription priced at $9.99 per month (with ads). The ad free plan is comes at $16.99 per month.
'Chimp Crazy' trailer