Captive Primate Safety Act

Floor Speech

CAPTIVE PRIMATE SAFETY ACT -- (House of Representatives - February 24, 2009)

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 80, the Captive Primate Safety Act, a bill that will protect public health and safety as well as animal welfare by prohibiting interstate commerce in primates for the exotic pet trade.

Last week, a woman from my district was brutally attacked and nearly killed by a chimpanzee that had been kept as a pet in a private home. Though the victim is currently receiving treatment at a specialized clinic, it is very likely that her wounds are grave and the effects lifelong.

An estimated 15,000 primates are in private hands in the United States, and while some may think chimpanzees and monkeys are good pets, last week's incident made tragically clear that these animals are unsafe when not under supervision of trained professionals. According to the Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition, at least 100 people have been injured by captive primates over the past decade.

Currently, twenty states prohibit keeping primates as pets, and the importation of such animals into the United States for the pet trade has been prohibited by federal law since 1975. Nevertheless, primates such as the one involved in last week's tragic incident in Stamford are bred in the United States and are readily available for purchase from exotic animal dealers and on the Internet.

By adding primates to the list of animals that cannot be purchased or transported as pets across state lines by individuals, H.R. 80 targets the pet trade and does not affect trade or transportation of animals between zoos, research facilities, or other federally licensed and regulated entities. This is a targeted, common-sense bill that will further protect our communities and promote animal welfare, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Source