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Primates are wild animals, and keeping them as pets is cruel and dangerous. To help prevent the suffering that inevitably comes with this senseless exploitation, the Captive Primate Safety Act is a bill that would stop people from owning pet primates (apes, monkeys, lemurs) by prohibiting their sale, breeding, and possession. Often taken from their mothers soon after birth, primates suffer tremendously as victims of the exotic pet trade. Baby primates may look cute and cuddly, but they soon grow strong and become more aggressive as they start acting on their natural, wild instincts. Owners will then often confine the monkeys to small cages and have their teeth pulled. Denying social animals like primates the opportunity to live in natural family groups—especially during the first months and years of their lives—is extremely harmful, causing psychological damage and lifelong scars. A few lucky ones may make it to sanctuary, but oftentimes these facilities are also caring for primates who have been released from labs. Sanctuary resources are always strained, so the best way to end the problem is to stop the flow. The Captive Primate Safety Act would reduce this burden on sanctuaries by preventing the trade of primates as pets. Primates belong in the wild, living in large family groups, not isolated in small cages with only human contact—it’s cruel!
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