Watts Elementary Robotics Team wants the U.S. Senate to set a federal law regulating primates in the pet trade. Some reasons that we want to do this is because:

•  Humans can’t always provide the right resources like special care, housing, and diet. If primates don’t have these things, they can get sick and die.
• Sometimes primates are abandoned because of aggressive behavior that is caused by not having their needs met.
• Some primates live for over 40 years, and people can get annoyed by the animal.  When the primate gets older, it also can get more aggressive.
• Newborn primates separated from their families don’t develop mentally or socially and become self-destructive.
• Primates can transmit dangerous viral diseases, such as yellow fever, monkey pox, and Ebola, to humans.
• Without training, primates can become violent to humans.  They might scratch, bite, or severely injure a human.
• Currently, there are no federal laws about primates in the pet trade.

Stricter rules and regulations needed for the primates are:

• Minimum requirement of space for the species of primate
• An outdoor and indoor enclosure with vines, real plants, climbing structures, ropes, hammocks
• Mothers and babies can not be separated until certain age
• Correct temperature and humidity                    
• Access to appropriate food/water
• Minimum of 6 months of training and classes
• Improved inspections of primate environment
• Enrichment activities such as toys and special food items