Primates are very intelligent, social, wild animals with complicated needs that can’t be met in a home environment. This is why we’re calling for a ban on buying, selling and keeping primates as pets.
Here’s why primates shouldn’t be kept as pets
Some species of primate can live for 20-40 years, making them a serious long-term commitment.
Here are some more reasons why primates don’t make good pets.
- They’re potentially dangerous – while they might look cute, they can become aggressive when they mature and have been known to bite and attack their owners.
- Not suitable house pets – primates need space, companions and mental stimulation – not what you find in someone’s living room. Monkeys like marmosets also scent mark extensively, spreading their musky smell everywhere.
- They need a specialist diet – metabolic bone disease (rickets) is a common, debilitating and painful, health problem in pet primates, and it’s caused by poor diet and lack of UV light. Whatever a breeder may tell you, primates need specialised diets.
- Health problems – primates need specialist vets, which can be expensive and hard to find. Primates can also spread disease to humans, such as measles and herpes.
- They need companionship – and primates must be reared by their mothers, as removing them too early in an attempt to ‘tame’ them causes extreme suffering.
- Primates need to be socialised with other primates – primates are highly social animals, and keeping them alone is inhumane. Human company is in no way a replacement for living with other compatible primates of their own kind.
To find out more about why we’re calling for a ban on keeping primates as pets, read our Do You Give a Monkey’s? report.
Concerned about the welfare of a primate or want to report cruelty?
Please contact us to report cruelty or an animal in distress.