RIP Cheetah
 

Who knew chimps could live so long. RIP you old poo flinger.


http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/28/showbi...ss_mostpopular

(CNN) -- Condolences poured in to a Florida primate sanctuary Wednesday after the death of Cheetah, a chimpanzee who starred in the Tarzan movies during the 1930s.

"I grew up watching Tarzan and Cheetah from a boy," a man identifying himself as Thomas from England wrote on the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary's website. "God bless you Cheetah. Now you and Tarzan are together again."

The chimpanzee died Saturday after suffering kidney failure the week before, the sanctuary foundation said on the site. He was roughly 80 years old, Debbie Cobb, the sanctuary's outreach director, told CNN affiliate WFLA.

Cobb recalled Cheetah as an outgoing chimp who loved finger painting and watching football and who was soothed by Christian music, the station said.

Cheetah appeared in the Tarzan moves from 1932 through 1934, Cobb told WFLA. According to the website Tarzanmovieguide.com, "Tarzan the Ape Man" was released in 1932 and "Tarzan and his Mate" in 1934.

Both movies starred Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan. Weissmuller -- the first speaking Tarzan, according to the Internet Movie Database website -- died in 1984.

Cheetah came to the primate sanctuary from Weissmuller's Florida estate around 1960, Cobb told WFLA. He was the most famous of the sanctuary's 15 chimpanzees.

"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."

Cheetah was known for his ability to stand up and walk like a person, sanctuary volunteer Ron Priest told WFLA.

Another distinguishing characteristic: "When he didn't like somebody or something that was going on, he would pick up some poop and throw it at them," Priest said. "He could get you at 30 feet with bars in between."

Still, Cobb told the station, "He wasn't a chimp that caused a lot of problems."

Cheetah is not believed to have any children, Priest said.

Condolences on the sanctuary site were received from numerous countries and in several different languages. A few posters credited him with helping them develop a love for animals.

"Cheetah will remain forever remembered in history," wrote one man from Malta.

"This little man was almost human," an anonymous poster wrote. "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 60s now and grew up with you."

Smart animals that.can.rip you apart kinda scare me.

Wow, I had no idea chimps lived that long.

Holy cow. I was thinking it was the Cheetah chimp from the 60s and was thinking that was a long time. It was the Cheetah from the early 30s? No wonder they're going to take over the world some day.

When I was a kid and watched Tarzan on TV, when Cheetah would laugh, it had me busting a gut! If any of you ever saw Tarzan's New York Adventure, I think that was the title, Cheetah could also use the phone.

If chimps can live to be 80, I'm just going to go ahead and plan on living to 150.

yup .. i remember watchin .. RIP old timer ......

Chimps are far more advanced than you.

This is probably why our prison system costs so much.

I wonder if TCM will have a Cheetah memorial night.

Cheetah was a better actor than Arnold, Shatner, and many other actors in Hollywood. RIP.

You have a Pit Bull or two, MO, don't you?

He's famous for the Tarzan roles, but I think his best performance was as a divorced father facing down both cancer and a leopard in the little-known 1957 film, "A Light Shines In The Jungle".

I have an irrational hatred of chimps, apes, and monkeys, but don't mind gorillas.

Damn good, thank God, thought this was about Chester Cheetah.