Action for Primates

News Media Articles Involving Captive Non-human Primates and Injuries to People

Action for Primates is unreservedly opposed to keeping non-human primates in captivity, especially in private homes. Although a major concern is for the extreme cruelty of this practice, the issue is also one of public health. Non-human primates in captivity regularly attack and injure people because of the psychological damage caused by this incarceration. Below are just a few examples of reports on captive individuals causing injuries to people. Tragically, the non-human primate often ends up being killed for something not their fault, rather the selfish behaviour of people. The 'lesson' learned here should be obvious: government authorities must ban keeping non-human primates in private homes.

The Animal Welfare Institute have provided an additional resource, compiling "Incidents Involving Primates Kept as Pets: 1990 to present" from 23 October 1990 through 13 April 2024. You can get a copy here.

2022-09-02 : USDA penalizes Promised Land Zoo following shooting death of baboon —Ryan Collingwood— Springfield News-Leader accessed 2025-06-23

Promised Land Zoo was given a "critical" evaluation after the USDA's inspection of an enclosure, which was left unlocked and led to the escape of two baboons. One of the animals was recovered, but the other — a male fixture at the zoo named Tooki, according to several sources — was killed after it bit an employee. The monkey was shot by Promised Land owner Jeff Sanders after it was found in a wooded area of the zoo, according to a police report.

2022-07-27 : Yamaguchi dispatches monkey-hunting crew after spate of attacks in Japanese city —Snejana Farberov— New York Post accessed 2025-06-23

2022-07-22 : Escaped Monkey Attacks Two-year-old Ukrainian Refugee in Russian Village —Jess Thomson— Newsweek accessed 2025-06-23

2022-03-16 : Actress Toma Mirza injured after monkey bite —Sun Online Desk— Daily Sun accessed 2025-06-23

2017-08-21 : Karnataka: Farmers use lasers to scare monkeys away —Anonymous— Bangalore Mirror accessed 2025-06-23

2015-08-11 : Monkey who escaped, bit hospital employee to move to primate sanctuary —Chris Dyches— WBTV.com accessed 2025-06-23

2015-07-10 : Monkey attacks owner, 71 —Mom Kunthear— The Phnom Penh Post accessed 2025-06-23
...attacked and seriously injured by his pet monkey…The monkey was later killed by local authorities...

2014-08-06 : Monkey Bites Woman Outside California Pizzeria —Sarah Figalora— ABC News accessed 2025-06-23

2013-06-13 : Ill. boy bitten by monkey to seek rabies treatment KFVS12 accessed 2025-06-23

2011-03-14 : Macaque monkey bites 10-year-old —Jim Whitfield— ConnectTristates.com accessed 2025-06-24
Lee County Sheriff Jim Scholl says a 10-year-old child was taken to Fort Madison Hospital for a cat bite, but hospital personnel eventually learned the child was bitten by a pet macaque monkey. … Scholl says a younger child provoked the monkey, and the bite occured when the 10-year-old tried to intervene.

2010-03-31 : Monkey attacks owner a second time —Steve Taggart— 12 On Your Side accessed 2025-06-24

2008-07-11 : Woman bitten by monkey in Columbia —Matt Grant— 13KRCG accessed 2025-06-24
Columbia authorities are investigating the second monkey attack in less than a year. … A woman, in her early 20s, reported being bitten on the hand by a friend's pet snow monkey, also known as a Japanese macaque.

2006-06-07 : Monkey business stirs up neighborhood —Ryan Tate— KFVS12 accessed 2025-06-24