Cheetah, The Chimpanzee that Starred in Tarzan Movies Dead at Age 80

Condolences poured in to a Florida primate sanctuary Wednesday after it announced the death of Cheetah, a chimpanzee that the sanctuary said starred in the Tarzan movies during the 1930s.

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.

Several chimpanzees appeared in various Tarzan movies, many of which were popular in the 1930a and 1940s. The Florida primate sanctuary said its chimp appeared in the Tarzan moves from 1932 through 1934, according to 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 was the first speaking Tarzan, according to the Internet Movie Database website. He died in 1984.

Weissmuller appeared in Tarzan movies through 1948, according to the online movie guide site, with other chimpanzees appearing in the role of Cheetah.

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.

His age was advanced for a chimpanzee, Cobb told WFLA. In the wild, the average chimp survives 25 to 35 years, she said, and they can live 35 to 45 years in zoos.

Another chimpanzee named Cheeta lives on a primate sanctuary in Southern California named C.H.E.E.T.A (Creative Habitats and Enrichment for Endangered and Threatened Apes). The sanctuary's creator, Dan Westfall, said on its web site that he was saddened to hear of Cheetah's passing in Florida. He said he and others at the sanctuary "send our deepest sympathies to our colleagues at Suncoast."

Westfall writes on the site that he was told Cheeta was one of the original chimps in the Tarzan movies during the 1930s and 1940s. However, when he began working with a writer on Cheeta's biography, research revealed "that our Cheeta is unlikely to be as old as we'd thought, although he is clearly old," Westfall wrote. "It is also difficult to determine which movies, if any, our Cheeta may have been in."

People from several countries offered condolences for Cheetah on the Florida sanctuary's site in several different languages. A few credited him with helping them develop a love for animals.

"Cheetah will remain forever remembered in history," someone in Malta wrote.

Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan hold hands with Cheetah the chimpanzee in "Tarzan and His Mate."

Man Donates Ton of Dog Food to Animal Shelter

A local resident delivered a surprise early Christmas present to the Humane Society of North Iowa last week.

“He told us that he’d like to make a donation of a ton of dog food. It just blew us away. We were overwhelmed. That’s two thousand pounds,” said Executive Director Sybil Soukup.

Garth Jordan of Osage, Iowa droped off fifty, forty-pound bags of dog food at the shelter last Thursday. The donation, valued at approximately $1000, will account for roughly half of the Humane Society’s annual food supply.

Like most non-profits, the Humane Society does not receive state or federal funding, and relies on donations in order to maintain operations.

“We have a lot of donors here in Mason City, corporations that do donate, but it’s just never enough. It seems like so this was really a great Christmas gift,” said shelter manager Tracy Hamand.

Jordan’s generosity will spare the shelter’s dogs from a common ailment: digestive upset caused by constant changes in diet.  Soukup says allowing the dogs to eat the same brand of food for six months will keep them healthier.

“When you switch brands it often causes digestive issues or can weaken an immune system for a dog and so by keeping them on the same diet for a long length of time it keeps them healthier. And it helps them gain weight if they’re needing to do that,” she said.

When asked why he was making such a generous donation, Jordan said he just wanted to do something kind in memory of one of his beloved former dogs.

Cat Inherits $13 Million Fortune Including Cash, Properties in Rome and Milan

A 4-year-old stray cat that was rescued from the streets of Rome has inherited a $13 million fortune from its owner, the wealthy widow of an Italian property tycoon.

Maria Assunta left the fortune to her beloved kitty, Tommaso when she died two weeks ago at the age of 94. The feline's newfound riches include cash, properties in Rome and Milan, and land in Calabria.

As her health began to fail two years ago, Assunta, who had no children, began to look for a way to see that Tommaso was properly cared for after she died.

Assunta first told her attorneys to leave her estate to an animal welfare association who would care for Tommaso. But when she was not satisfied with any suitable group to care for Tommaso, in 2009, Assunta decided to leave all her money to the cat via her nurse Stefania, who cared for her until she died.

Stefania said she had no idea Assunta was so wealthy.

"The old lady suffered from loneliness," the nurse said. "She looked after that cat more than you'd look after a son."

Tommaso and Stefania, along with another cat, are living outside Rome at an undisclosed address.

The windfall for Tommaso places him at No. 3 on the list of wealthy pets. He ranks behind Kalu the chimp, whose owner left him $80 million dollars, and a German shepherd named Gunther IV, who inherited $372 million dollars from an eccentric German countess.

Real estate magnate Leona Helmsley famously left $12 million to her little dog Trouble. After her human descendents contested, Trouble's pot was cut to $2 million.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Washington, DC - Animals Paint Adorable Pictures

Sans berets, smocks or palettes, the animals at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo are getting their paws dirty with non-toxic, water-based paint and creating one-of-a-kind works of art. Painting is one among many activities that fall under Animal Enrichment—a program that provides physically and mentally stimulating activities and environments for the Zoo’s residents. The animals have the opportunity not only to choose how to behave, but also to use their natural abilities and behaviors in new and exciting ways.

Enrichment is an integral part of the daily care of the species in the Zoo’s collection. Keepers and curators carefully study animal behavior and determine what kinds of enrichment are appropriate for each species and, occasionally, individual animals. Keepers have a number of novel options for enrichment. They may alter an exhibit; train an animal; introduce new smells, sounds, foods, and objects; or enlist an animal in a research project, such as a study about foraging skills or cognitive research. Adding a variety of engaging activities helps keepers ensure the Zoo’s animals have a high quality of life.
              
Though the subjects of the animals’ paintings remain mysterious, the ways visitors can support the Zoo’s enrichment program are as clear as a starry, starry night. Drop off any size canvas, art paper, paint brush or non-toxic, water-based paint at the Visitor Center for the animal care staff to distribute. Animal keepers are collecting gifts for the animals this holiday season. Browse the list of needed items on the Enrichment Giving Tree section of the Zoo’s website or the Enrichment page of the Zoo’s online store.

Art produced by many of the Zoo’s mammal and bird residents will be available for purchase at the National Capital chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) Art Show, which will take place spring 2012.