Former nurse-turned-exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix fights to retain custody of her "kids" — seven chimpanzees at the Missouri Primate Foundation (MPF). Other chimp moms are introduced, including one who raised a baby chimpanzee alongside her own infant daughter.

PETA launches an investigation after a former Hollywood chimp named Tonka goes missing. It's a high-stakes legal battle, particularly in light of a brutal attack that happened years earlier when another chimp nearly killed a Connecticut woman.

Actor Alan Cumming, who also has a special relationship with Tonka, adds $10,000 to a reward for Tonka's whereabouts, and the film crew faces an ethical dilemma as parallels are drawn to a previous PETA case that took a dangerous turn in Oregon.