Elvin M.

Argument Essay
Professor Milloy
10/29/15

Monkeys as Pets

Intro

Primates may be the closest to an animal that human beings can be, but there's more to it
than just physical and DNA similarities that tells us why monkeys can be dangerous as pets. At
birth, monkeys may seem diminutive and adorable, but will eventually grow to see things for
what it is. Over time, adult monkeys that have been domesticated all their life may show signs of
social deficiency and aggression towards other animals and humans. The reality is that it's in the
monkey's nature to grow with their kind. To reduce the spread of diseases and aggression in
primates, I believe that exotic animals such as monkeys should not be under the watch of any
underqualified pet owners. In this essay, I will explain reasons why I strongly believe in my
stance of this topic. I will also post some examples of real-life incidents that occurred with
people that have tried to domesticate these animals but only to learn the hard way that it cannot
be done by any ordinary person.
Disease Carriers
Like any living organism on Earth, monkeys are capable of carrying and transmitting lifethreatening diseases. According to a group of students from the School of Biological Sciences
and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the U.K., monkeys can transfer

parasitic, bacterial, or viral pathogens. In the scholarly article called "The Welfare and Suitability
of Primates Kept as Pets," anoutbreak of drug-resistant Shigella and Salmonella in humans was
sourced to their primate pets (Fox, 1975; Juan-Salles, Verges, and Valls, 1999). Several serious
emerging human pathogens such as Marburg virus, Ebola, monkeypox, and simian
immunodeficiency virus (SIV) originated from, and are harbored in, primates (Gao et al., 1999;
Marx et al., 1991). All of these diseases seem to be very harmful to human health in my
opinion. These diseases that were found to be linked to pet chimps should seriously cause
people's heads to turn and think twice about taking in a pet monkey. If one was infected,
probability of sickness and death would be imminent and who's to say that there may even be a
cure out there to treat any of these diseases. From what I read in this article, these infections can
be transmitted through scratches and bites. This further shows how genetically close humans and
apes are, but also shows how dangerous we are from one another.
Aggressive Tendencies
Another reason to not keep a pet monkey is because monkeys can actually become
aggressive. According to an article called The Problem With Pet Monkeys by Lianne McLeod,
she claims that depriving a pet monkey of normal social relationships with other monkeys can
create behavior problems and neuroses. McLeod also says that Monkeys are unpredictable and
may turn aggressively on anyone, including the person to whom they are closest (McLeod 2).
There have been instances of apes randomly going mad, such as the recent Charla Nash incident
and pet owner Jimmy Schwall getting his hand ripped off by a pet Macaque monkey. These
incidents tell me how dangerously capable monkeys can be. Monkeys may seem docile on the
outside, but they can have the urge to attack any average pet owner and not be able to predict
when it would happen or how to stop it.

Monkey Ownership
In this day and age, it has gotten simpler to obtain almost anything we want. Whether
online or in person, people can actually go back home with a pet monkey through an online
purchase. Online pet trades make it easier for anyone to buy almost any species of primate such
as orangutans and chimpanzees. According to author and Executive Director of Animals 101,
Inc., Michelle A. Rivera states that, As of 2012, 17 states have no restrictions against residents
practicing the fine art of monkey-keeping (Rivera n.p.).. Also, in a National Geographic
published article by Maryann Mott called The Perils of Keeping Monkeys as Pets, it is said
that A quick Internet search reveals a thriving trade in just about every species of primate, from
capuchins to chimpanzees. Prices range from U.S. $1,500 to $50,000. Even endangered species,
like Diana monkeys, lemurs, and gibbons, are for sale (Mott 1). According to April Truitt,
founder of The Primate Rescue Center in Kentucky, she believes that Today, monkeys offered
for sale are surplus animals from zoos and laboratories or from breeders (Mott 2). This
information tells me that any average American can own a pet monkey in certain states, whether
responsibly qualified or not may not matter.
Although there are many reasons to not keep animals such as monkeys as pets, there are
many exotic pet owners in the U.S. that wont release these animals back into the wild. A horse
trainer named Leslie-Ann Rush from outside Orlando, Florida owns a seven-acre farm where she
keeps gypsy horses, kangaroos, lemurs, and a kinkajou. Rush states:
Theyre my family. They need me. I cant explain to you what that feels like. I wake up
every morning and come out here, and all my animals come rushing up to greet me. I feel
loved, and that feels great (Slater n.p.)

In her words, she keeps her animals with her because they are her companions. She cares for
them on her own. While it may seem cruel to keep these animals away from their natural habitat,
people like Leslie would continue to own and care for pet monkeys as if theyre family. I
disagree with people like Leslie who keep these animals in captivity. Born Free USA has tracked
2,000 incidents involving wild animals held in captivity (Slater n.p). These animals have been
reported for seriously injuring or killing their owners or anyone around them. It was reported that
a pet java macaque bit a woman and caused severe injuries on her arm and finger. A 6 year old
boy was bitten in the arm by a macaque monkey and had to get treated several times for a bonedeep wound that became infected.
Conclusion
In conclusion, owning a pet monkey can be dangerous. If not careful, owning one can
lead to injury or death. While pet monkey incidents continue to get reported or not, there is a
percentage of people that still find ways to take a monkey home. More of these incidents will
keep happening if no one stops to think what could happen at some point. By creating this essay,
I hope the reader was able to understand my argument on this topic and consider other options
for pets if he or she is deciding on one. Some animals are more habitable than others and I
believe that monkeys are not meant to be a domesticated species. When it comes to animals like
monkeys, you can take them out of the wild, but you cant take the wild out of them.

Works Cited
Slater, Lauren. Exotic Pets. nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. April 2014. Web.
October 2015

Soulsbury, Carl D., Lossa, Graziella, Kennell, & Stephen Harris. The Welfare and Suitability of
Primates Kept as Pets. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. 12. 1. (2008): 1-20.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 10/15
McLeod, Lianne. The Problem With Pet Monkeys.About.com. Web. 10/1/15
Mott, Maryann. The Perils of Keeping Monkeys as Pets. Nationalgeographic.com. National
Geographic, Sep 16, 2003. Web. 10/1/15
Rivera, Michelle A. Is It Illegal To Have A Monkey As A Pet? Animals.mom.me. Animals By
Demand Media. Web. 11/24/15