The plight of four new spider monkeys at the St. Louis Zoo is shining a light on the illegal wildlife trade and the lack of regulation surrounding pet monkey and ape sales and ownership in Missouri — a state where at least 35 to 50 primates are sold each year.
By extrapolating from a 2019 study of primate sales in the U.S., Joseph DaVault of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation said there may be as many as 400 to 1,000 pet primates in the state.
"There are so many different primates in the relatively small state of Missouri," he said. "Per capita, we have a lot more than the average person might expect."
There is no federal law against private ownership of primates, but endangered species, like spider monkeys, are illegal to own under the Endangered Species Act. However, there is no statewide registry of pet primates in Missouri. Exotic pet owners and dealers are only required to report to their local sheriff, and failure to report only results in a small fine.
"No one's really checking in," DaVault said. "There is no mandate that these exotic pet owners are getting inspections done regularly, so they can fly under the radar for a long time."
Acquiring a monkey, chimp or other ape can be as simple as opening TikTok, attending an exotic animal auction or responding to an ad on Craigslist. The animals are marketed in social media videos and ads as docile infants — which make up nearly 80% of the sales.
"Sometimes they can be just a couple weeks old," said Melissa McElya, zoological manager of primates at the St. Louis Zoo. "The ones that eventually ended up at the St. Louis Zoo — I believe their earliest recorded weights were under a kilogram, so very, very tiny. They can be just 4 to 6 inches tall."
While these monkeys and apes can be very sweet and mild-tempered in their infancy, experts warn that they are still wild animals. Pet primate owners should be cautious as their behavior can change drastically as they get older.
"These animals — even the small spider monkeys — they get bigger, they get aggressive, they get mean, sometimes sexually aggressive," DaVault said. "As well as their teeth and claws, they're extremely strong. All of these things can lead to injuries. Not to mention all of the diseases that they might carry. Zoonotic diseases are a big concern."
Wild spider monkeys live in groups of 20 to 100 individuals in jungles with lots of room to live and grow. Their natural habitat includes tall trees to swing from branch to branch, one arm over the other. Without ample space and their mothers to teach them how to be a monkey, experts say captive monkeys can't live a full and happy life.
"(Pet owners) are not going to be able to provide them with the environmental and the physical stimulation that they need," McElya said. "(Spider monkeys) are not ones that would be able to thrive as single individuals. They can become really frustrated, really despondent."
Though experts warn against owning primates and other exotic animals, they encourage those seeking them out to go to a legitimate and humane source. They also encourage consumers to avoid endangered species and to do their research because "they don't see all of the trauma that those individuals go through in order to end up as someone's pet," McElya said.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' "Not A Pet" initiative aims to educate the public on the illegal pet trade. They also emphasize the risks and ethical considerations involved in the legal trade as well.
"In no uncertain terms, primates do not make (good) pets and do not belong in your home," said the association's senior director of wildlife trafficking, Sara Walker.
