Support the Captive Primate Safety Act

Nonhuman Primates Don’t Belong in Households

Monkeys and lemurs are sitting in barren cages and dark basements across the US. Kept as pets, their lives are nothing like those of their wild counterparts who are free to roam across tropical rainforests and the African savannas.

Did you know:

• It is illegal to import primates into the United States for use as pets
• Primates have complex social structures. In the wild, they usually live in large social groups
• Infant primates are often forcibly taken from their mothers for the pet trade 
• Primates’ teeth are frequently removed in an attempt to make them easier to manage
• At least 15,000 primates are kept as pets in the US
• Since 1990, approximately 300 people have been injured by primates kept as pets

Help Us End the Cruel Primate Pet Trade

The Captive Primate Safety Act would prohibit the private possession of primates, protecting these sensitive, intelligent animals from exploitation and abuse. Additionally, while people who already have primates may keep their animals, they must register them so that first responders and law enforcement officials are aware of their presence.

Although the federal Animal Welfare Act provides some protection for primates, it does not protect animals in private homes. While some states already prohibit the private possession of some or all primate species, others fail to provide protections for “pet” primates.