Alarming New Report Exposes More Than 1,600 Primates Offered For Sale On Social Media In The U.S.
A disturbing new report is shining a spotlight on the growing online trade in primates across the United States, revealing that more than 1,600 monkeys and other primates were openly advertised for sale on major social media platforms during a six-week period.
According to the report, investigators identified 1,131 online posts advertising 1,614 individual primates for sale. Species included macaques, capuchins, marmosets, spider monkeys, tamarins, squirrel monkeys, vervets, lemurs, bush babies, chimpanzees, howler monkeys, and owl monkeys. Macaques accounted for the majority of listings, with hundreds of infants and juvenile animals advertised online.
Researchers warn that many people purchasing primates may not realize they are contributing to a lucrative wildlife trafficking industry that causes immense suffering to animals and threatens already vulnerable wild populations.
“The ease with which primates are being bought and sold online should be a wake-up call,” said Sara Walker, senior advisor on wildlife trafficking at AZA. “These are complex, long-lived wild animals—not pets—and this growing digital marketplace is fueling demand, causing animals to suffer. This also increases pressure on zoos and sanctuaries that must care for confiscated wildlife—often for the rest of their lives, since most confiscated primates cannot be returned to the wild.”
The report found that prices for primates ranged from approximately $250 to $6,500, depending on species, age, and rarity. Researchers also noted that many of the animals offered for sale were infants, raising concerns about the separation of young primates from their mothers and the lasting trauma that can result.
“All you need is a phone and a social media account to buy a primate in the U.S.,” said Danielle Kessler, U.S. Country Director of IFAW. “With just the click of a button, well-meaning animal lovers can end up in a criminal pipeline where animals pay the ultimate price. This is an industry that thrives on clicks, cash and cruelty.”
Conservationists warn that the online trade not only threatens individual animals but can also contribute to the decline of wild populations already facing mounting pressures from habitat loss, poaching, and illegal wildlife trafficking.
“Buying a primate online isn’t just about one animal—it fuels the killing of mothers, the loss of future generations, and the dangerous myth that primates belong as pets,” said Crawford Allan, WWF Vice President of Nature Crimes and Policy Advocacy. “A seemingly harmless purchase is often the final link in a well-organized criminal chain that undermines wild populations and is neither safe nor legal—let’s get state and federal enforcement agencies the cyber crime specialists and funding they need to tackle this insidious enterprise.”
The report notes that nearly 75% of the world’s primate species are currently threatened with extinction and warns that the increasing visibility of primates for sale online is helping drive demand for exotic pets while creating additional burdens for sanctuaries and accredited zoos that care for confiscated animals.
“Wild primates are just the latest wild animal put at risk by a combination of ignorant desire and calculated greed. This report highlights the growing problem of primate trafficking in the United States. Now is the time for action to prevent the demise of iconic wild species and to keep the public safe from the diseases and injuries primates can cause,” said Ed Newcomer, former Special Agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The organizations behind the report are calling for stronger federal protections, including passage of the Captive Primate Safety Act, increased law enforcement efforts to combat online wildlife trafficking, and stronger policies by social media companies to prevent the sale of primates and other wildlife on their platforms.
Advocates are also urging the public not to purchase primates as pets and to report online wildlife sales whenever they encounter them.
