Cheetah, the chimpanzee who became famous for his roles in the 1930′s Tarzan films, died on Christmas eve at a Florida primate sanctuary.
Cheetah the chimp – who was smarter than any politician alive today – was first seen onscreen with swimmer-turned-actor Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan and Maureen O’Sullivan as Jane.
Although Cheetah was never credited in any of the Tarzan films, it’s believed he appeared in Tarzan the Ape Man in 1932 and Tarzan and His Mate in 1934.
There are reports that another chimp, Jiggs, was the original Cheetah that appeared in the early Tarzan movies.
Since the animals were never given credit alongside the actors, it’s difficult to determine which chimps actually appeared in the films.
Allegedly acquired from the estate of Johnny Weissmuller in 1957, Cheetah was reportedly born in 1931. He died of kidney failure at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida.
The Sanctuary’s outreach director says Cheeta was “roughly 80 years old, loved fingerpainting and football and was soothed by nondenominational Christian music.”
Even if Cheetah wasn’t one of the original chimps to appear in Tarzan movies, he still looks like one very cool cat.
Check him out sporting the shades and sipping on a cool beverage.
Cheetah was said to love football
