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Arkansas Bans Private Ownership of Chimps

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe signed several animal rights bills this legislative session, including a ban on the future private possession of chimpanzees, baboons, macaque monkeys, and other apes as exotic pets. The measure, which was signed into law by Gov. Beebe on Thursday, also requires all primate owners to register their animal, regardless of species, with local law enforcement and comply with the federal Animal Welfare Act’s caging standards for primates, as well as not allow the public to come into direct contact with the primates.

“We applaud the Arkansas Legislature and Governor Beebe for passage of these important measures including sensible legislation restricting primate ownership. Arkansas joins dozens of other states that already have bans or restrictions on keeping dangerous primates as exotic pets,” said Desiree Bender, Arkansas legislative director for The Humane Society of the United States

ChimpCARE estimates that there are between 200 and 300 chimpanzees living in unaccredited facilities, like private zoos, or in private ownership. Those raised as "entertainment chimpanzees" generally only work until they are six to eight years old. After that, they usually are too strong and unmanageable to work. The same is often true for private "pets" who grow too big for their owners to handle.

Chimpanzees reared by humans often do not know how to interact with other chimpanzees, which makes integration into an appropriate social group difficult, even if they are lucky enough to make it to a sanctuary.

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