A co-director from the famous documentary “Tiger King,” Eric Goode, is set to reveal a new story focusing on “monkey moms” in his latest docuseries titled “Chimp Crazy.”

Goode, who also founded the Turtle Conservancy, states in an interview that not everything he produces will be about exotic animal owners. However, he couldn’t resist exploring the world of individuals who keep monkeys and chimpanzees as pets.

He shares, “I was fascinated by the concept of women wanting to raise monkeys and chimpanzees like children, dressing them up and living with them as if they were their own.” As he delved deeper, the story expanded with many compelling characters, culminating in “Chimp Crazy.”

This four-part docuseries from HBO, debuting Sunday (10 PM EDT/PDT, streaming weekly on Max), features trainer Pam Rosaire, who once nursed a premature chimp back to health. The central figure of this docuseries is Tonia Haddix, a former nurse who became enamored with a chimp named Tonka.

After appearing in films such as “George of the Jungle,” “Babe: Pig in the City,” and “Buddy,” Tonka arrived at the Missouri Primate Foundation, where Haddix volunteered. Despite her glamorous appearance, Haddix has a genuine love for chimps.

In the docuseries, Haddix expresses: “I adore these chimps more than anything else in life,” adding, “More than my kids, more than anything.”

She further explains, “Human children are supposed to bond with others and society, but chimpanzees depend entirely on their mother. That creature perceives you as their mom.”

After gaining fame from “Tiger King,” some subjects were reluctant to work with Goode. To mitigate this, he enlisted Dwayne Cunningham as the “proxy director,” enhancing their capacity to connect with various sources.

“We thought (Cunningham) would play a small role in connecting with Connie Casey (owner of the Missouri Primate Foundation),” Goode notes. “However, after meeting Tonia Haddix, Cunningham’s involvement evolved significantly.”

Haddix built trust in Cunningham, saying, “She welcomed us into her life so intimately,” Goode explains, even sharing an unexpected revelation that will feature in a later episode. “We would follow her throughout her day; she’d say, ‘I need to go to the tanning bed,’ and we’d ask if we could join her.”

Nonetheless, domesticating wild animals comes with numerous variables and dangers, even for Haddix, who is affectionately termed the “Dolly Parton of the chimps.” The series revisits a severe incident in 2009 when a chimpanzee from Casey’s facility attacked Charla Nash, requiring her to undergo a face transplant.

In Haddix’s situation, the animal rights group PETA filed a lawsuit against Casey to improve the living conditions for animals at the Missouri foundation. PETA collaborated with actor Alan Cumming, who had a fondness for Tonka from their time on the set of the 1997 film “Buddy.”

Haddix proposed that Casey transfer ownership of the seven chimps to her. After introducing the characters and their pet chimps, the docuseries shifts focus to PETA’s motion to relocate them to a sanctuary, excluding Tonka, who mysteriously disappears during the process.

Goode acknowledges some parallels between “Chimp Crazy” and “Tiger King,” but he believes they tell different stories. The first season of “Tiger King” highlighted many memorable moments while depicting a fierce competition between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. In contrast, “Chimp Crazy” carries a noticeably heavier tone.

“Perhaps because it revolves around chimpanzees, there’s a deeper emotional connection with these subjects,” Goode speculates. “Unlike ‘Tiger King,’ where there wasn’t that same level of attachment to any single animal, this series elicits a stronger emotional response, containing plenty of surprises.”

Goode hopes that viewers will gain insight into the emotional complexity of chimpanzees, emphasizing, “They are our kin; their DNA resembles ours closely. They exhibit intricate social behaviors just like humans do.”