Support the Captive Primate Safety Act to protect wildlife and communities

End the cruel and dangerous pet primate trade.

There’s no humane way to capture a baby primate from the wild.

But despite serious animal welfare and safety concerns, the cruel and dangerous trade in “pet” primates remains active in the US. The bipartisan Captive Primate Safety Act (CPSA) (H.R 3199/S. 1594) could end it. This bill would protect primates from the cruel and destructive exotic pet trade by prohibiting the private possession, breeding, and trade of nonhuman primates outside of qualified facilities—protecting animals, people, and public health.

Send a pre-drafted letter right away to support it.

Nonhuman primates—like chimpanzees, lemurs, spider monkeys, and gibbons—are wild animals, not pets. They are intelligent, sensitive, and social beings with complex needs that no private home can meet. Kept in isolation, many suffer from psychological trauma and physical neglect. Others endure painful or misguided attempts to “tame” them.

This isn’t just harmful to the animals; it also puts people and communities at risk.

The “pet” primate trade also drives international wildlife trafficking, pushing wild populations toward extinction.

Add your name to our pre-drafted letter now to keep vulnerable primates safe.

Dear {contact_data~salutation},

As your constituent, I urge you to support the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R 3199/S. 1594), a bill to protect primates from the cruel and destructive exotic pet trade and promote public safety. The CPSA prohibits the private possession, breeding, and trade of nonhuman primates outside of qualified facilities—protecting animals, people, and public health.

Despite serious animal welfare and safety concerns, the cruel and dangerous trade in “pet” primates remains active in the U.S. Private ownership results in lifelong suffering for primates and serious threats to people. Primates are wild animals whose needs cannot be met in private households and who suffer physically and emotionally when kept in isolation. They are often abused in an effort to make them more suitable for domestic life, enduring painful mutilation.

Keeping primates as pets is not only inhumane—it poses a serious public safety risk. Since 1990, there have been over 300 reports of dangerous incidents, including attacks, resulting from private ownership of primates across the U.S. Many more likely go unreported. In addition, living in close  
quarters with primates increases the risk of spreading deadly zoonotic diseases.

The “pet” primate trade also drives international wildlife trafficking, pushing wild populations toward extinction.

It’s time to end the private ownership of primates as pets. Please stand up for wildlife and public safety by supporting H.R. 3199/S. 1594 through cosponsorship, and ensure it receives a committee hearing and markup.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

First Name

Last Name

Email

Address 1

Address 2

City

State

ZIP

Country

Mobile

By providing my mobile phone number, I opt-in to receive text messages and phone calls from IFAW.

We will keep you updated on our campaigns via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

End the cruel and dangerous pet primate trade.

There’s no humane way to capture a baby primate from the wild.

Share this cause