Captive Primate Safety Act Reintroduced

On May 5, the Captive Primate Safety Act (CPSA) was reintroduced in Congress. This bipartisan bill, sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Reps. Mike Quigley (D-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), and Nancy Mace (R-SC), would ban the private possession of nonhuman primates. Even the most well-meaning owner cannot provide the special care, housing, diet, socialization, and maintenance that chimpanzees, capuchins, lemurs, and other primate species require. Many pet primates spend their entire lives in relative isolation, compared to living in the wild in large social groups. They experience physical and psychological suffering when confronted with unrealistic expectations that they will behave like perfectly trained pets or even “little humans.” These animals pose a serious threat to the people around them, as evidenced by the hundreds of reported injuries nationwide over the last few decades. Primates can also carry life-threatening diseases that are communicable to humans, including Ebola, tuberculosis, and the Herpes B virus.

On May 14, AWI and other groups organized a Capitol Hill screening of Chimp Crazy. The four-part docuseries, which premiered last year on HBO Max, highlights some of the heart-wrenching stories of chimpanzees caught up in the pet trade. Featuring remarks from a former pet primate owner, the event helped educate congressional staff about the brutal realities of the pet primate trade and reinforced the urgent need to pass the CPSA.

Program Terms: Terrestrial Wildlife

AWI Quarterly Terms: Feature Article, Government/Legal