Before arriving at Humane World for Animals’ Black Beauty Ranch, a young marmoset named George spent his early life confined to a cage in a Wisconsin basement, kept as someone’s “pet.” His story changed when authorities responded to a complaint of neglect and confiscated him. He was welcomed into lifelong sanctuary care at Black Beauty Ranch, where he met Cali, a fellow marmoset surrendered by her previous owner in Florida, who realized the little primate needed far more space and freedom than any home could offer.
Marmosets are wild, social animals who thrive in forested environments and live in close-knit groups in their native South America. In captivity, especially when kept alone, they suffer from isolation, stress, and lack of proper stimulation. At Black Beauty Ranch, George and Cali now share a spacious, naturalistic habitat where they can climb trees, leap through branches, and engage in natural behaviors, finally free to be the animals they were born to be.
“Cali and George adjusted well to their life together. Cali is confident and curious about George, whose biggest delight in the day is finding and eating mangoes, his favorite treat. We often see them grooming each other, which is a good sign as they build their bond and companionship as they would in the wild,” said Sue Tygielski, senior managing director of Black Beauty Ranch.
“Marmosets, like all primates, are extremely intelligent with complex social and physical needs. Kept alone as pets, they are denied the necessary mental stimulation, social partners, exercise, and proper nutrition they require,” continued Tygielski. “Cali and George are the lucky ones who never have to be confined as someone’s pet again and can finally be the wild animals they deserve to be.”
Unfortunately, their stories are not uncommon. In the U.S., the exotic pet trade sadly continues to flourish, with marmoset infants often pulled from their mothers shortly after birth, a cruel practice that leads to long-term psychological and physical harm.
“While some primates are taken from the wild in their native range for the global pet trade, most primates kept as pets in the U.S. come from dealers who profit from the cruel treatment of animals, separating mothers from their babies and selling the infants as pets,” explained Laura Hagen, program director of captive wildlife at Humane World for Animals. “This places both animals and the public in severe danger.”
“While lax state and federal laws make it impossible to know exactly how many primates are kept as pets in the U.S., we believe the numbers continue to be on the rise, fueled by social media and public encounters with primates,” continued Hagen. “This misleads the public to believe these wild animals make for great pets, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Breeding, selling, buying, and keeping primates as pets is deplorable and a recipe for disaster.”
The need for change is urgent. The Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 3199/S.1594), currently under consideration in Congress, would prohibit private ownership of nonhuman primates as pets across the U.S., protecting both people and animals.
Since 2000, more than 340 incidents involving pet primates—attacks, escapes, and injuries—have occurred in 42 states. At least 28 of these incidents involved marmosets, who have been known to bite neighbors, jump on bystanders, escape from homes, and suffer or die due to neglect. Marmosets, like all primates, also carry zoonotic diseases that can pose serious health risks to humans.
George and Cali are among the fortunate few. They now live peacefully at Black Beauty Ranch, alongside other rescued primates, including macaques Magilla, Ember, and Miya, and capuchins Phoenix and Jackie, all victims of the pet trade who were given a second chance at life.
Black Beauty Ranch, located on 1,400 acres in Texas, is one of the nation’s largest and most respected animal sanctuaries. Operated by Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States, the sanctuary is home to nearly 600 domestic and exotic animals from 42 species, rescued from research labs, circuses, roadside zoos, the pet trade, and situations of abuse and neglect. Accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, the ranch provides animals with the lifelong care, enrichment, and safety they deserve.
