Letters to the Editor: Spider monkeys belong in the wild, not in the brutal pet primate trade

To the editor: The recent case of a young spider monkey rescued during a drug bust in Vallejo highlights the urgent need to ban the cruel and dangerous pet primate trade in this country (“Baby spider monkey rescued from suspected meth dealer’s home. Now, a new life awaits,” May 17). Although we do not know the background of this particular monkey, there has been an alarming increase in reports of infant spider monkeys smuggled across our southern border in recent months, driven by Americans’ insatiable demand for pet monkeys.

Poachers slaughter mother spider monkeys in the wild and then steal their babies, shoving them into boxes, bags and car trunks for a brutal journey to the U.S.-Mexico border. Upon arrival, these criminals attempt to smuggle the animals into the United States to supply the legal and lucrative exotic pet trade. This type of wildlife trafficking often occurs within criminal networks that are also responsible for drug, weapons and human trafficking, threatening our national security.

The recently introduced federal Captive Primate Safety Act, co-led by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) with five other California co-sponsors, would prohibit private ownership of nonhuman primates to protect both these animals and the public. We must pass this legislation now to keep these monkeys in the wild — where they belong.

Kate Dylewsky, Washington, D.C.
This writer is the assistant government affairs director for the Animal Welfare Institute.