Right now, a baby spider monkey named Violeta is learning how to be a monkey again. Poached from the wild and smuggled into California, Violeta was found during a drug bust — scared, malnourished, and completely cut off from her natural world. She’s one of the lucky few. Most primates caught in the illegal pet trade don't survive.

Every year, countless monkeys are ripped from their families — often literally torn from the arms of their dying mothers — to be sold into the exotic pet trade. They’re kept in cages, fed human food their bodies can’t process, and suffer from chronic stress, anxiety, and illness. Many die before their first birthday. And when they grow up and become too strong or dangerous to handle, they’re often euthanized or locked away for life.

This cruelty must end. That’s why we’re calling on Congress to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act, a federal bill that would ban the private ownership and breeding of primates across all 50 states. While some states already prohibit keeping primates as pets, others still allow it — creating a patchwork of laws that traffickers easily exploit.

The science is clear: primates are social, intelligent animals who suffer immensely when kept in isolation from their own kind. Even when owners love them, these animals cannot live full, healthy lives in human homes. And the global wildlife trafficking market — estimated at up to $23 billion per year — is fueling their extinction and enabling horrific cruelty.

This bill has already been introduced, but it’s currently stuck in committee and needs public pressure to move forward. The longer we wait, the more animals will be stolen, smuggled, and broken.

Please join us in urging Congress and Chairman Bruce Westerman to bring the Captive Primate Safety Act to a vote. Violeta's story doesn’t have to be the norm — we can choose to protect, not exploit.

Sign now to demand federal protection for primates and end this cruel trade once and for all.