New ‘Chimp Crazy’ docuseries highlights the problems of keeping pet primates

© J McArthur / Born Free

New HBO series ‘Chimp Crazy’ documents the story of Tonia Haddix and other individuals in the United States who keep great apes as pets. It claims to reveal “the bonds between owners and their highly intelligent great ape pets, the risks humans take when they raise these animals as members of their family, and the risks to the welfare of the animals themselves.” 

The series serves as an example of how captivity can never meet the complex needs of great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans) or other wild animals.
The limited space and enrichment provided, the lack of opportunities for social interactions with their own kind, and the inappropriate diet and climate that they are typically exposed to, are a far cry from the complex lives these species have evolved to lead in the wild.

The damaging impact of such deprivation on individual captive animals can be huge. Primates are among the most intelligent animals on the planet, and this is one of the reasons why they suffer so much in captivity.

Sadly, captive great apes are particularly prone to developing stereotypic behaviours, such as repetitive neck-twisting, rocking, bar and wall-licking, over-grooming, self-mutilation, eating or playing with faeces, and vomiting and regurgitation.

The housing of such species in a domestic setting poses incredible risks to the health, safety and welfare of the animals, the owners, the wider public and the authorities. No great ape should ever be kept as a pet.

© J McArthur / Born Free

Fortunately, at the time of writing, no great apes are legally housed in private residences across Britain. However, many people will be shocked to learn that it is still legal for a person to keep a chimpanzee, providing they obtain a licence from their local licensing authority under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWAA) 1976.

In 2023, Born Free revealed that 256 primates, categorised as ‘dangerous’ under the DWAA, were kept under licence in Britain, including baboons, lemurs and macaques. Many more primates, such as marmosets and tamarins, do not require a licence. It’s estimated that there could be 5,000 or more primates in private residences across Britain!

Legislation to restrict primate ownership in England became law in March 2024 under the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is in the process of developing the accompanying Standards.

The legislation applies to the trade in and keeping of all primates in private ownership and comes into effect in April 2026. Although referred to as a ‘ban’, the legislation actually creates a licensing system and therefore permits the legal ownership of primates to continue, subject to their owners meeting the licencing conditions. It is understood that the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales are not currently planning similar legislation.

Born Free believes that the keeping of wild animals as ‘exotic pets’ in the UK is an issue that urgently needs addressing.  

We are calling for an outright ban on the private keeping of primates, and for a review and reform of the laws governing wider exotic pet ownership.  

Consideration should be given to the development and implementation of a robust ‘positive list’ system which establishes a list of species permitted to be kept based on specific criteria, including their welfare needs.