Ive always wanted a pet monkey. Do they make good pets?
Monkeys and apes are not meant to be pets. They are intelligent, autonomous, thinking, feeling beings that do not belong in cages and strongly resist captivity. When pet-owners acquire baby primates, they have the best intention of treating them as family members. However, our homes are ill equipped to handle maturing primates. Their natural curiosity and intelligence turn to mischief and destruction if not positively channeled. As they mature, caring for them in human surroundings becomes a challenge at best, and a potential danger for all concerned. It is common for captive primates to have never seen others of their own kind, a phenomenon referred to as “species isolation”. Heres what happens: without the company of their own species, and without appropriate activities, exercise and nutrition, they become depressed, and suffer ill health. Isolation, confinement and boredom can lead to self-mutilation. Not having the benefit of same species guidance, they fit into neither a human wor
