Over the weekend, Chimp Crazy debuted on HBO. While private primate ownership is not as popular as big cat ownership in Texas, the Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN) is educating Texans on the laws regarding primate ownership in the state and why they do not make good “pets.”
“Throughout the state, there have been documented attacks on humans by primates, sending victims to the hospital as well as primates escaping their enclosures endangering communities,” said Shelby Bobosky, Executive Director of THLN. “In fact, Texas Health and Safety Code classifies baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas as ‘dangerous wild animals.’ We do not encourage Texans to seek out any primates as pets. Further, we support the federal Captive Primate Safety Act, which prohibits private possession of nonhuman primates and the sale or transportation of nonhuman primates for the wild ‘pet’ trade.”
Primate incidents in Texas (HSUS):
- 2018-Edinburg, TX: A two-year-old child had to be flown to a San Antonio hospital after he was severely injured by a snow macaque being kept as someone's pet. The monkey’s owner continued to keep primates as pets.
- 2015-San Antonio, TX: A bank teller was hospitalized after their face was bitten by an unrestrained juvenile macaque. A man brought the macaque into the bank, claimed it was a service animal, and fled with the macaque following the attack.
- 2014-Gatesville, TX: Two macaques being kept as pets escaped from their owner’s home. One was shot and killed, and the other, a pregnant female, remained on the loose for at least five days after escaping.
- 2014-Coryell County, TX: A bonnet macaque being kept as a pet escaped and reportedly attacked a man and his dogs. A sheriff’s deputy captured the macaque, which escaped again when it was returned to the owners. The macaque was not captured until two days later.
- 2006-Bell County, TX: A person bitten by a pet rhesus macaque was taken to the hospital for treatment. It was killed to be tested for rabies.
- 2002-Magnolia, TX: A pet java macaque attacked an eight-year-old boy and a woman, and severely scratched a firefighter, sending all three to the hospital for treatment.
About the Dangerous Wild Animal Act (DWAA)
- THLN fought to pass the DWAA for six years before it finally passed in 2001.
- The DWAA prohibits the ownership or possession of any dangerous wild animal if the county opted out of the DWAA in 2001.
- The DWAA requires the owner to register the animal with the local animal control authority and send a copy of the registration certificate to the Texas Department of State Health Services. This is important for several reasons:
- It allows the public who live near these dangerous animals to know where and what type of dangerous animals are being kept and by whom so they can take whatever precautions they think appropriate to ensure their safety and the safety of their family.
- It also provides law enforcement and disaster relief agencies with the information needed to protect the public's safety if the animal escapes and in emergencies and natural disasters such as floods, fire, tornados, etc.
- Before the enactment of the DWAA, from 1992 until 2001, there were over 46 incidents involving dangerous wild animals in Texas, including maulings and deaths.
- After the enactment of the DWAA, there was a 50% drop in reported incidents involving wild animals. From 2002-2012, there were only 23 incidents.
