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In a tragic incident, a woman in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, narrowly avoided serious injury after encountering a vervet monkey in her driveway. The woman shot the monkey, who was later taken to a local zoo. Despite emergency veterinary care, the animal had to be euthanized due to the severity of their injuries. Authorities are now investigating the monkey’s ownership, as the animal was reportedly wearing a leash at the time of the encounter.
The event underscores a disturbing practice—primates being kept as “pets” in private homes and subjected to unnatural, unsafe conditions. Chimpanzees Travis and Buck serve as two infamous cautionary tales documented in Chimp Crazy, highlighting how keeping monkeys and apes as “pets” results in human harm, primate suffering, and, tragically, often their untimely death.
Primates are not “pets”—they are complex, intelligent animals with unique social, environmental, and psychological needs that simply cannot be met in a home environment. If people are legally allowed to keep monkeys, chimpanzees, and other primates as “pets,” the cycle of trauma, escape, attacks, and killing will continue. The Captive Primate Safety Act—currently under consideration in Congress—aims to end the trade and private ownership of primates in the U.S.
By supporting the Captive Primate Safety Act, we can take a critical step toward preventing future incidents and sparing humans and our fellow primates from harm. Only then can we ensure that monkeys and other primates receive the care and protection they need in accredited sanctuaries, where they can live out their lives in peace, dignity, and safety.
