Cheetah the Tarzan Chimp Dead at 80 From Kidney Failure

Cheetah, a chimp famous for his part in the Tarzan movies from the 1930s, has gone to that big movie set and banana buffet in the sky. One of several chimpanzees to appear as Cheetah alongside former Olympic gold medal swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, the animal’s film tenure ran from 1932 to 1934. Cheetah was living at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Fla. He reportedly loved finger painting and people’s laughter, and was known for his ability to stand up straight and walk like his human co-stars. Living long past the average chimp lifespan of 35 years, the hirsute thespian was 80 years old. He suffered kidney failure and passed away on Christmas Eve.