Kriti Mehrotra
As an Eric Goode-directed documentary series delving deep into the wild world of individuals who believe they can raise primates as their kids, HBO’s ‘Chimp Crazy’ is unlike any other. That’s because it shines a clear light upon the way boundless love is simply not enough to have these exotic animals forget their innate instincts or need for freedom, with the prime example being Buck. This chimpanzee had spent nearly all of his 18 years being cared for by Tamara Brogoitti at her Oregon estate, only to horrifically turn on her eldest daughter, April, on January 20, 2021.
April Brogoitti Knew of Her Mother’s Intense Bond with Buck
It was reportedly back when April was merely a young girl that she as well as all three of her siblings — Heather Ann Wade, Beau Wade, and Katherine Wade — realized they came second to their mother’s animals. While it’s true that Tamara blissfully tied the knot with her love, Robert Wade, at the tender age of 18 before welcoming their children into this world, her ensuing passion for exotic pets soon took over everything. In fact, Beau even expressed in the aforementioned original that their familial bond was quite tumultuous owing to this, especially as the kids often felt she cared only for her creatures.
Nevertheless, Tamara’s children tried to be as close to her as possible once the years began ticking down since they knew she had not only lost Robert but later also married and lost her second husband, John Brogoitti. It was during this period that her connection with her beloved Buck transformed, with her apparently going as far as to dress the ape in her late spouse’s clothes and having him sleep on the same bed as her. However, things gradually changed as the chimp actually became so aggressive that his “mom” had no choice but to keep him in a cage and ultimately even call for help to keep him secure.
April Brogoitti Was Attacked at Her Mother’s Home
While Tamara had initially asked Beau for assistance, only her 50-year-old daughter, April Wade Brogoitti, agreed to return to her 800-acre Buck Brogoitti Animal Rescue park just outside Pendleton to provide aid in 2019. Then, she essentially took Buck’s place beside her mother on her bed, resulting in the primate being completely confined to his cage — one that was big, yet not big enough considering his nature and lifestyle until then. This mother-daughter duo thus prepared a safe morning routine wherein April kept herself locked in the room as Buck was let out, just for him to have breakfast with Tamara before being enclosed again.
But alas, on January 20, 2021, both April and Tamara somehow forgot all their protocols, resulting in Buck coming down, seeing the former on what was once his bed, and completely losing control like never before. He actually pounced on his once “sister” before biting her several times, just for her mother to take relatively quick action and somehow drag her as Buck frantically returned to his cage by himself. The latter locked them in the basement before dialing 911, asking for the police as well as an ambulance — in the end, following her panicked urging, a local policeman fatally shot Buck on sight; he fired a single bullet to the head.
April Brogoitti Now Leads a Quiet Life
Born April Wade, yet better known as April Brogoitti, only to now prefer April Gilbo, the then-50-year-old was horrifically bit across her arms, legs, as well as torso at around 8 am on that fateful morning. Thankfully, though, because the emergency service made it there within 5 minutes, after which she was rushed to a nearby hospital, she was ostensibly able to make a full recovery despite all the blood and skin loss. So, it appears as if this Gedera Regional High School, Eastern Oregon University, plus Blue Mountain Community College alum, has since managed to rebuild her life, which she seemingly prefers to keep very private while continuing to reside in her hometown of Pendleton, Oregon.
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