Tarzan’s Chimp Cheeta died on Christmas Eve at age 80 due to kidney failure at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida, according to the sanctuary’s Facebook page.
Cheeta’s acting career spanned four decades where he starred in the famed black and white movies of the 1930’s all the way through the color television series in the 1960’s.
Prior to residing at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, Cheeta resided in an animal sanctuary owned by legendary Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller.
Weissmuller is remembered by long time Brevard County residents because he tried to start a failed tourist attraction known as Tropical Wonderland/Tarzan’s Jungleland off of U.S. 1 in Titusville in the early 1970’s.