By Amy Kerwin, Founder of Primates Incorporated
I just finished watching Chimp Crazy, the new HBO documentary. It reminded me to write a post to discourage anyone out there from buying any primate as a companion animal. Below are my top five reasons why you should not buy a primate to live in your home. After that list are five actions I am suggesting that you can take if you love primates, like I do. Thank you!
- All primates are wild animals and are deserving of dignity and our respect. Therefore, a primate would thrive the best in an environment that is their natural habitat – or as close to the wild as an environment could be if they arrive to a sanctuary from the pet trade, laboratory, or entertainment industry.
- Breeders looking to sell primates take them from their mother months before they should so that the baby monkey clings onto the buyer, tricking them into feeling like THEY are the mother. The buyer is supporting a system that takes babies from their mothers prematurely and endorses handling a monkey in an unnatural way, being forced to live and eat more like a human – which is not what nature intended.
- Although they are at first cute babies, primates will grow up and become unpredictable, dangerous, and will challenge dominance.
- People who buy monkeys or chimpanzees to be companion animals don’t often realize it is like caring for a dangerous, large, toddler for 30+ years!
- Many monkeys from the pet trade wind up being sent to sanctuaries with little to no money to pay for their lifetime care – leaving less room for sanctuaries to help monkeys from labs.
If you love monkeys, here’s what you can do:
- Discourage anyone who wants to buy a pet monkey from buying one for the reasons mentioned above!
- When you travel, never take a picture with a monkey who is on a leash or in a cage for entertainment – rather enjoy viewing them in the wild!
- If you are really wanting a companion animal, consider: thousands of cats and dogs are living in shelters waiting for their forever home – they need you!
- Tell your Representatives to support legislation that bans or regulates the ownership of primates as pets. Currently, The Captive Primate Safety Act 2024 was introduced.
- Support conservation efforts for them so they can continue to live in their natural habitats. Please also support accredited/true primate sanctuaries – check out their websites to see what their needs are! They have the professional staff and knowledge it takes to provide quality care to the primates. They may even have volunteer opportunities!
Please check out primatesinc.com/support to see how you can support the sanctuary residents at Primates incorporated!