Alan Cumming Offering $10,000 Reward For Missing Chimpanzee Costar

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Alan Cumming is offering a $10,000 reward for information regarding Tonka, a chimpanzee who co-starred with him in the 1997 film Buddy. Alongside Cumming (Spy Kids, X2: X-Men United), the 1997 family comedy starred Rene Russo as wealthy pet-lover Gertrude Lintz, who fosters a myriad of animals in her mansion including her newest addition, Buddy, a chimp. The film was made in conjunction with the Henson Company, which made the animatronic versions of the younger Buddy, as well as the suit worn by the actor who portrayed the older Buddy. While it's unlikely to see Buddy on a list of Henson's best creations, the rest of Russo's animal housemates are all portrayed by real animals.

Tonka, one of two chimps to appear in the film, was last reported being seen at the Missouri Primate Foundation in Festus, Missouri, which PETA was suing over the living conditions for its animals. The Foundation was a chimpanzee breeding facility that rented them out to act in films, appear at parties, or even be bought by private owners, not unlike the big cats in Tiger King. PETA cited the chimps were being "warehoused in often filthy, virtually barren enclosures." In 2021 the animal rights group was granted permission to move 7 chimps, including Tonka, to an accredited sanctuary, but Tonka was missing once they arrived in July to make the move.

Related: Tiger King: What Netflix Viewers Can Do To Help Big Cats In Captivity

Indiewire reports that Cumming  shared in an interview how he and Tonka had become fast friends over the months of filming Buddy, grooming each other and "generally larking about." While PETA was offering an initial reward of $10,000 for Tonka, Cumming has now matched that amount for any people who have information regarding