Chimp Crazy Docuseries Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Ban on Pet Primates

Washington, DC—"Chimp Crazy,” the four-part docuseries premiering August 18 on HBO Max, aims to expose the dangerous and cruel trade in primates as pets that has destroyed lives — both human and nonhuman — across the country.

The series focuses on several chimpanzees kept as pets, including the famous Tonka, while examining the broader issues surrounding the thousands of primates who are bred, trafficked, sold, and kept in wildly unnatural conditions in private homes. To end this senseless trade, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) urges Congress to quickly pass the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 8164/S. 4206), which would prohibit the private ownership of primates.

Reintroduced in May by US Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), this bill is narrowly crafted to target sales and private possession of primates, and would not impact zoos and other exhibitors, universities, labs, or sanctuaries.

“What is truly crazy is that it’s still legal to keep primates as pets,” said Kate Dylewsky, assistant director of government affairs at AWI. “The heart-wrenching stories of chimpanzees caught up in the pet trade must serve as a wake-up call: These wild animals do not belong in our homes and pose a serious threat to our communities. Let’s pass the Captive Primate Safety Act so that this docuseries can serve as a historical narrative, instead of reflecting an ongoing animal welfare and public safety crisis.”

The total number of pet primates (e.g., apes, monkeys, lemurs, and lorises) in the United States is unknown, but estimates indicate they number in the thousands, if not tens of thousands. These wild animals are torn from their mothers as infants, sold at auctions or over the internet, and face a lifetime of isolation and imprisonment as pets. Upon reaching maturity, they can quickly become strong and unpredictable, and are often forced to undergo unnecessary, painful procedures, such as tooth extraction, in an effort to “tame” them. Even the most well-meaning of owners cannot provide the special care, housing, diet, socialization, and mental stimulation that these animals require. Additionally, nonhuman primates pose distinct risks to public health, since they can easily transmit a wide range of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal diseases to humans, some of which are life-threatening.

Hundreds of people have reported being injured by captive primates, and many more incidents likely go unreported. “Chimp Crazy” will highlight a particularly horrific incident in 2009 in which a Connecticut woman named Charla Nash was blinded and lost most of her face and hands after being attacked by her neighbor’s pet chimpanzee, Travis. Nash has spoken out about the need to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act to ensure that what happened to her will not happen to anyone else.

“Chimp Crazy” also focuses on notorious animal dealer Tonia Haddix and her chimp Tonka, who starred in the 1997 films “George of the Jungle” and “Buddy.” The docuseries is directed by Eric Goode, who also directed “Tiger King,” the hit Netflix series that brought unprecedented public attention to the unethical activities of roadside zoos and big cat breeders when it was released in March 2020. On December 20, 2022, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was signed into law, officially ending the dangerous, inhumane trade in big cats kept as pets.

As is the case with big cats, keeping primates as pets not only threatens public safety but can also strain the resources of the community and of rescue organizations. Local police departments and other first responders are not trained or equipped to respond to wild animals, yet when a dangerous primate escapes from someone’s home, emergency personnel are called on to make difficult decisions in chaotic situations. Sanctuaries with limited resources are often left to deal with the consequences, since they become dumping grounds for traumatized animals.

To urge your US representative and senators to cosponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act, click here.