Happy Birthday

Maybe the Protests today weren't to commemorate Zapata's death, but Cheeta's Birth!

Happy Birthday Cheeta!


That's right, THAT CHEETA, the original chimp sidekick to the 1932 Weissmuller Tarzan the Ape Man, turned 74 today (he's believed to be the oldest living chimpanzee)

That just blows my little bitty mind.


Plus he's a painter (and has a famous fan)

From his bio

Cheeta turned 73 on April 9th, 2005 and has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest chimpanzee. He's 4 foot tall and 142 pounds. He starred in 12 Tarzan movies during the '30's and 40's. Dan Westfall adopted Cheeta in 1992 from his uncle Tony Gentry, an animal trainer who worked in Hollywood and obtained Cheeta from Africa in the 1930s.

(and as usual with Hollywood stars, it seems like someone is lying about their age, I believe them when they say this is the original Cheeta, and if so, he'd have to be at least 75 this week, and not 74 as the first Tarzan film was shot in 31 and released in March of 32)