Tell Congress to Pass the Captive Primate Safety Act

The recent release of the shocking documentary “Chimp Crazy” has thrown a spotlight on the sinister world of the primate pet trade in the United States.

Currently, nearly half of all U.S. states allow some form of private ownership of primates as pets. There is a patchwork of permitting laws but no federal protections to prevent the kind of egregious abuse of these animals that is on display in “Chimp Crazy.”

Primates kept as pets across the United States are frequently sold away from their mothers by inhumane breeders when they are far too young, causing lasting trauma to both the mothers and babies caught up in this cruel and unethical trade. These highly intelligent, emotionally complex animals often suffer from inadequate diets, inappropriate living conditions, and extreme psychological stress from being kept isolated from other members of their species. Human homes are not designed to meet the physiological needs of non-human primates, who require large natural habitats with access to the outdoors, including trees, climbing perches, and other enrichment materials.

Keeping chimpanzees and other primates in human homes, forcing them to wear human clothing, and feeding them an unhealthy human diet of sugary soda and fast food is abusive and irresponsible behavior that is far too common in the world of exotic pet ownership.

Chimpanzees and other large primates are also incredibly dangerous animals to keep as pets. Once fully grown, they are extremely strong, and the stress of being kept as pets can cause them to lash out, endangering the lives of humans in their vicinity. In the past 30 years, there have been at least 300 cases of people being injured by non-human primates kept in private captivity.

Thankfully, members of the United States Congress are working on legislation to crack down on the abusive primate pet trade. The Captive Primate Safety Act (S.4206 / H.R.8164) would stop the private possession of these animals by prohibiting private ownership and interstate or foreign commerce of non-human primates. The Act defines ‘prohibited primate species’ as any live species of non-human primate, including species of chimpanzee, galago, gibbon, gorilla, lemur, loris, monkey, orangutan, tarsier, or any hybrid of such species.

With the release of “Chimp Crazy” bringing attention to this disturbing industry, there has never been a better time for our lawmakers to fight to get this important legislation passed. We need to encourage them to take advantage of this moment and push for this bill now more than ever before.

Take Action

Please join Species Unite in calling on Congress to meet the moment by passing the Captive Primate Safety Act (S.4206 / H.R.8164).

Further action:

You can make an even bigger impact by reaching out to your congressional representative and asking them to cosponsor this bill. You can use this link to find your representatives. Simply type in your zip code and your representatives will appear, click on the linked names over each person’s photo to go to their individual contact pages. There you can fill out an online form asking them to support the Captive Primate Safety Act (S.4206 / H.R.8164).

You can send a note as simple as:

Dear Representative [Name],

I am your constituent, and I am requesting that you become a co-sponsor of the Captive Primate Safety Act. The Documentary Chimp Crazy has revealed in shocking detail the dark side of the primate pet trade and now Congress must act to stop this absurd animal abuse while the world is watching. Please do your part to help get this bill passed.

Sincerely,