On September 14, the Born Free USA welcomed six new residents to its primate sanctuary in south Texas. The three vervet monkeys – Louie, Ricky, and Archie – and three bonnet macaques – Bernie, Poppy, and Max – were relinquished by their former owner who had kept them illegally as pets in Illinois. The monkeys arrived at the sanctuary safely after a 24-hour road trip with a specialist transporter. Louie, in particular, appeared stressed on arrival but everyone settled down quickly to enjoy a healthy and nutritious lunch. The morning after arrival, sanctuary veterinarian, Dr. Katie Jennings, carried out a thorough health check before moving the six out to their temporary enclosures, where they will stay for their two-week quarantine period before meeting some of the other sanctuary residents.
All six monkeys have had their canine teeth removed, while Archie had had all of his teeth removed except his molars. Sadly, his is a common practice with “pet” monkeys to prevent them from injuring their owners, but it can have long term consequences for the monkeys’ dental health and social standing. The three bonnet macaques were overweight, and most of the monkeys showed low white blood cell count. This is indicative of long-term, chronic stress to the extent that the individual’s immune system is compromised. Low white blood cell count is commonly found in rescued monkeys as a result of having been forced to cope with unnatural and stressful lives in private homes.
Said Dr. Liz Tyson-Griffin, Programs Director for Born Free USA: “We are delighted to offer a home for life to Archie, Ricky, Louie, Bernie, Max, and Poppy, but these six monkeys should never have endured life as pets. The state of Illinois has banned the keeping of primates as pets and yet the ease in which the animals were procured and kept speaks to the need for a federal ban on the private possession of these complex, sentient animals. Until there is a joined-up approach across all states, sanctuaries like ours will continue to bear the burden of mopping up after this cruel and outdated trade. Primates are not pets and it is high time to end their suffering once and for all.”
The new arrivals are just the latest in a steady stream of monkeys in need of safe haven. Less than a year ago, another illegally kept monkey, Willis, was confiscated in Chicago and sent to the sanctuary. During the same period, a further three monkeys were rehomed to the sanctuary having endured life as pets.
Dr. Tyson-Griffin continued: “The state laws currently in place are simply not working. Whether that be in states that allow the cruel keeping of monkeys as pets, or those who have tried to ban but continue to have to deal with illegally owned animals crossing state lines, it is the animals who suffer. The only clear way to end this issue of animal welfare and public safety is to implement outright federal prohibition.”
While sanctuaries like Born Free USA’s can act as a Band-Aid to this problem, they alone are not the solution. Comprehensive federal legislative is needed to protect nonhuman primates and the public from the cruel and dangerous pet trade. The Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 3135/S. 1588) is an important bill that would do just that by prohibiting the private possession of nonhuman primates.
- To learn more about the primate sanctuary, visit bornfreeusa.org/primate-sanctuary
- To take action on the Captive Primate Safety Act, visit bornfreeusa.org/cpsa
