Bill to Restrict Shipment of Primates Passes

[struggle4progress]

Source: CQ Today

PRINT EDITION – LEGAL AFFAIRS
Feb. 24, 2009 – 2:14 p.m.
Bill to Restrict Shipment of Primates Passes
By Avery Palmer, CQ Staff

The House passed legislation Tuesday that would prohibit the interstate shipment of pet monkeys and other primates, over Republican complaints that the bill is a waste of time.

The bill (HR 80) passed by a vote of 323-95. The House took it up a week after a Connecticut woman was mauled by a chimpanzee kept as a pet. The bill would amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (PL 97-79) to ban the interstate sale or transport of non-human primates for use as pets.

There are about 15,000 pet primates in the United States. Twenty states ban ownership of such pets, but it is still easy to purchase monkeys and other primates from another state or over the Internet. The bill would make it easier to enforce state prohibitions, and may encourage additional states to prohibit primate ownership.

Read more: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=1&docID=news-000003059366

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Editorial: Primates Aren’t Pets

Published: February 24, 2009

The recent chimpanzee attack in Stamford, Conn., was a tragedy for the woman who was horribly mauled. It was also a reminder that primates should not keep other primates as pets. The obvious reason is the danger involved. No matter how tame they may sometimes appear, chimpanzees are vastly stronger than most people realize. And no matter how socialized a chimpanzee seems, it is still in exile from its kind, its way of being ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/opinion/25wed4.html?_r=1

[mmonk]

1. Does this mean bush can't travel?

[flvegan]

2. When did we domesticate primates again?

Just curious.

Having "pets" such as this is a bad idea and should, indeed, be banned.

[kestrel91316]

3. Good. Primates like chimps should NOT be kept as "pets".

They are potentially far more dangerous than pit bulls and rotties and such due to their manual dexterity, intelligence, and incredible strength.

Stupid people sho keep them and get their friends mutilated really piss me off.

[depakid]

9. Jane Goodall is pretty explicit about it

http://www.janegoodall.org/chimp_central/conservation/issues/as_pets.asp

Chimpanzee and monkey infants are irresistibly cute, and it might seem that raising one would be just like raising a human child. As infants, chimpanzees are affectionate, needy, and a delight to interact with. But chimpanzees grow up fast, and their unique intelligence makes it difficult to keep them stimulated and satisfied in a human environment. By age five they are stronger than most human adults. They become destructive and resentful of discipline. They can, and will, bite. Chimpanzee owners have lost fingers and suffered severe facial damage.
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[EFerrari]

10. No kidding. nt

[arcos]

4. How about human primates? Can they be used as pets?

Can they be sold or transported across state borders? :)

[bertman]

5. Exactly what I was thinking, arcos. Aren't we them?

And I agree that ALL primates seem to be dangerous and unpredictable. Especially the cute, cuddly ones with engaging smiles.

[Politicalboi]

6. This is good news

I wish they would do the same for caged birds. People don't need to own birds either.

[greengestalt]

7. But how...

...Will we be able to order these awesome animals that can...


1. Randomly type out the works of shakespeare (mabye, maybe not in a billion pages)

2. Type up a new economic stimulus bill... (if you believe a pathetic racist's hate speech and incitment to murder)

3. Eat your face off making it so gross Quincy himself would puke...? (fer real)


Just being joking, folks!


My late grandfather had a Howler monkey he had as a pet through his teens. He got it from a circus, I think won it in a game of pool. Cool black hair, hung on his shoulder all the time. The indians loved it. (I'm talking depression era northern west) But after 7 years it went crazy and kept attacking him and everyone else. He hinted he had to kill it, but was really sad doing it. Now, most people today it'd rip apart, but he was able to do things like lift engine blocks and carry them so he was able to overcome it. By contrast a guy I worked with for years who was so strong he could tighten screws by hand most couldn't unfasten with a screwdriver was knocked to the floor and beaten when his friend's rhesus monkey went on a "Crazy face bitey" spree....


It's something weird. It seems like people can get a monkey as a pet and as long as they don't mind the chaos and mess the monkey becomes a good pet/best friend, able to help out in its simian way even at work and chores. But then there's a chance over years it'll turn on you and become deadly for no apparent reason.


Anyone read Conan? I wonder if the classic "Rogues in the house" story was inspired by one of "Two-gun Bob's" friends having a similar "Simian Says face is edible!" pet problem.

[Liberty Belle]

8. What about those companion primates for the disabled?

I've seen stories about monkeys (not chimps) trained to assist severely disabled (usually quadraplegic) owners -- they are amazing. The animals will climb and fetch things out of high cupboards, answer phones etc. Are smaller monkeys as dangerous as chimps?

[LostinVA]

12. As an aside,"Malcolm in the Middle" had a hysterical episode about this very thing

Craig mistreated his companion Capuchin, and it tried to kill him in various ways, until Hal rescued him ("You darned dirty ape!").

[Justice]

13. bill does allow capuchins as service animals if meet qualifications

The stories you have seen - impressive and inspiring.

Capuchins weigh like 6 pounds (just to compare to the 200 lb chimp)

[struggle4progress]

14. Captive Primate Safety Act (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)

111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 80 ...

SEC. 3. CAPTIVE WILDLIFE AMENDMENTS.
(a) Prohibited Acts- Section 3 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3372) is amended -- ... (2) in subsection (e) -- ... (B) by striking `(e)' and all that follows through `Subsection (a)(2)(C) does not apply' in paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

`(e) Captive Wildlife Offense - ...
`(1) IN GENERAL- It is unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species.
`(2) LIMITATION ON APPLICATION- This subsection -- ...
`(C) does not apply to a person transporting a nonhuman primate solely for the purpose of assisting an individual who is permanently disabled with a severe mobility impairment, if--
`(i) the nonhuman primate is a single animal of the genus Cebus;
`(ii) the nonhuman primate was obtained from, and trained at, a licensed nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 the nonprofit tax status of which was obtained--
`(I) before July 18, 2008; and
`(II) on the basis that the mission of the organization is to improve the quality of life of severely mobility-impaired individuals;
`(iii) the person transporting the nonhuman primate is a specially trained employee or agent of a nonprofit organization described in clause (ii) that is transporting the nonhuman primate to or from a designated individual who is permanently disabled with a severe mobility impairment, or to or from a licensed foster care home providing specialty training of the nonhuman primate solely for purposes of assisting an individual who is permanently disabled with severe mobility impairment;
`(iv) the person transporting the nonhuman primate carries documentation from the applicable nonprofit organization that includes the name of the designated individual referred to in clause (iii);
`(v) the nonhuman primate is transported in a secure enclosure that is appropriate for that species;
`(vi) the nonhuman primate has no contact with any animal or member of the public, other than the designated individual referred to in clause (iii); and
`(vii) the transportation of the nonhuman primate is in compliance with--
`(I) all applicable State and local restrictions regarding the transport; and
`(II) all applicable State and local requirements regarding permits or health certificates; and
`(D) does not apply' ...

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.80.EH:

It looks to me like the bill grandfathers interstate transport of Capuchins with documentation by existing dedicated non-profits for service animal purposes

[jody]

11. Are pit bulls next? n/t

[Crunchy Frog]

15. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, if you want a pet monkey, just have a baby.

It's the same amount of responsibility, and the baby probably won't end up mauling you.