HBO Max's "Chimp Crazy" and the Need to END Private Ownership of Primates

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As many of us tuned in on Sunday night to watch HBO Max’s docuseries "Chimp Crazy", it became clear that raising awareness about the issues highlighted in the series was essential. Private ownership of primates is exploitative, and the hidden lives of these animals often go unnoticed due to the glamorous image presented by their owners.

Close relationships and ownership of primates, as shown in "Chimp Crazy," are not uncommon. Primates, such as chimpanzees, are charismatic animals with captivating human-like personalities. Movies like “George of the Jungle” (1997) and “The Hangover” (2011), as well as celebrities with primate pets, have led some people to aspire to own a pet monkey themselves.

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While cute, primates are not suitable pets. The entertainment industry and exotic pet trade have been exploiting primates for years. Over 15,000 nonhuman primates in the U.S. are estimated to live in unsuitable conditions. In California, it is illegal to own primates privately. Nevertheless, there is an underground world of primate ownership in the United States, where people find ways to obtain and bring them into our state. Since 2021, Oakland Zoo has helped rescue of over 90 individual primates—victims of the exotic pet trade, roadside Zoos, or other criminal activity.

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The popularity of e-commerce and social media has led to an increase in exotic pet ownership. This raises concerns about the spread of zoonotic diseases, and the illegal trade of thousands of species, making it the fourth most lucrative transnational crime.

Oakland Zoo is home to chimpanzees with backgrounds related to these problematic industries, like Bernie, featured in “MVP: Most Valuable Primate” (2000). They can support the animals ' overall health and wellbeing through protected contact, various forms of enrichment, proper food, and direct access to specialized veterinary and animal care. Primates, such as chimpanzees, are highly intelligent and cognizant animals, with complex emotions.  The six chimpanzee residents form a collective troop that provides the necessary socialization for this species.

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In contrast, as shown in the first episode of the "Chimp Crazy" docuseries, these animals are frequently placed in isolated, rundown homes and facilities under private ownership. They often need to be tamed using excessive force and leashes to participate in human interactions.

“In no way can private owners compensate for the innate needs of the individual animals housed as pets, many of which suffer the effects of chronic stress, malnutrition, and other maladies,” says Darren Minier, Director of Animal Welfare and Research at Oakland Zoo.

There is no federal law regulating the possession of primates as personal pets. State laws vary widely, ranging from a complete ban on pet primates to a ban on specific species requiring a permit and no restrictions. The Captive Primate Safety Act (CPSA) would amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981, federally prohibit the pet primate trade, and protect these brilliant animals.

“CPSA will end the cruel primate pet trade that has caused generations of suffering in captive primates and lined the pockets of unscrupulous breeders and dealers. PETA encourages everyone moved by the tragic stories in Chimp Crazy to call on their legislators to co-sponsor,” says Brittany Peet General Counsel, Captive Animal Law Enforcement at the PETA Foundation.

Chimpanzees are also threatened by habitat loss, disease, and hunting, usually for bushmeat. Oakland Zoo supports primate protection by funding the Budongo Snare Removal Project in Uganda (Africa), which removes snares, addresses human-wildlife conflict, provides a goat program for ex-poachers, and offers veterinary care for injured chimps and goats.

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To help support the CPSA and urge your representative to be a cosponsor, click here.

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To learn more about how Oakland Zoo is committed to protecting chimpanzees, click here.

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