Captive Primate Safety Act Reintroduced in the U.S. House to Protect Nonhuman Primates

WASHINGTON — This week, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC-01), and Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA-26) reintroduced the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R.3199/S.1594) to prohibit the private ownership and interstate or foreign commerce of nonhuman primates for the cruel “pet” trade. To accomplish this, the bill, which is supported by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), will amend the Lacey Act to prohibit the private possession of nonhuman primates such as chimpanzees, galagoes, gibbons, gorillas, lemurs, lorises, monkeys, orangutans, and tarsiers.

“Primates are highly intelligent, social animals with complex needs that cannot be met in private homes,” said Allison Ludtke, legislative affairs manager at the Animal Legal Defense Fund. The reintroduction of the Captive Primate Safety Act offers a federal solution that is needed to end the trade of nonhuman primates as “pets” in the U.S., instead of the current patchwork of laws that fail to fully address this issue. Keeping nonhuman primates as pets not only causes immense suffering for the animals but also puts the public at serious risk — resulting in injuries, physical and emotional trauma, and costly emergency responses from law enforcement who are unfairly put in the position of managing dangerous wild animals. ALDF applauds Senator Blumenthal, Congressman Quigley, Congressman Fitzpatrick, Congresswoman Mace, and Congresswoman Brownley for their leadership on this impactful and commonsense legislation.”

“Monkeys and apes belong in the wild—not in living rooms. This bill will ban private possession of these animals, ensuring that we are safe and primates are able to live freely,” said Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05), co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus. “As the lead sponsor of the Big Cat Public Safety Act which was later signed into law, I’m proud to sponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act to advance the same protections for primates.”

Nonhuman primates are social animals who cannot thrive in isolation. Even the most well-intentioned owner cannot replicate the intricate family structures that species such as chimpanzees and orangutans need to flourish — nor is a residential home equipped to meet nonhuman primates’ physical needs, which vary greatly depending on species but generally require large natural landscapes with trees, hillsides, and places to climb and perch.

Keeping nonhuman primates as “pets” also poses a serious safety risk to both the animals themselves and nearby humans. These wild animals are unpredictable and can be aggressive — they cannot be domesticated. Over the last three decades, at least 300 people have been injured by nonhuman primates held in private homes and facilities. In one well-publicized incident that was featured in “Chimp Crazy,” a Connecticut woman suffered severe facial injuries after she was attacked by a 200-pound chimpanzee, Travis, who was kept in her friend’s home. Travis was subsequently shot and killed by a police officer responding to the scene. Sen. Blumenthal was inspired, in part, by her story to sponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act.