Ban on pet primates

[brainman1000]

Anyone here have a pet primate? They are taking steps to ban them as pets...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/...rss_topstories

[temec]

i agree with them.... primates are to wild for the generl public to keep them as pets and treat them like another child.. but if you have had an internship at a zoo or something and get a permit I'd be fine because they know how to care for them...

[mooingtricycle]

Just to put it into perspective, Im sure some of the primate people think it would be unfair to ban all primates as pets. just as we snake keepers ( even the big big constrictors) would be unhappy to have our animals banned.

before people start saying that "YEAH! they SHOULD be banned!"

[_Venom_]

Primates are waayyyy different then snakes.

I feel they should be banned more because I feel sorry for them being treated like that, rather then the danger they are.I've seen monkeys caged in cages for years

[nevohraalnavnoj]

From what I've heard, a Florida senator, Stevens(?) is trying to get all exotics brought in under the Lacey Act. Has anyone else heard this?

JonV

[mooingtricycle]

Primates are waayyyy different then snakes.

I feel they should be banned more because I feel sorry for them being treated like that, rather then the danger they are.I've seen monkeys caged in cages for years

Large snakes can cause serious harm to humans. There are large snakes living in FL. How, exactly, are they any different?

I bet you i cant name one person who keeps a monkey near me. but i bet you i can name quite a few that keep Hots and Large snakes!

I think responsible people should be able to care for them, if they are able to. I do not think your average joe should just up and get one. But i also dont think your average joe should be able to keep large snakes or hots either.

[SatanicIntention]

Burmese Pythons, for example, don't carry communicable, deadly viruses such as HIV, herpes, hepatitis A, and a few other ones(ebola, marburg, eh hem...).

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/in.../bc/171004.htm

Some reptiles only carry salmonella, and who really lets their 90 year old immune-suppressed grandmother or their 6 month old child handle the reptiles? It's in the fecal material and as long as proper hygiene is maintained, no one will get sick.

I don't see any retic wandering around with HIV...

[wolfy-hound]

A typical large boid also can't chase you down and rip your fingers off.
Most experianced primate keepers will tell you that it's not IF a primate will bite or attack you, it's WHEN. Almost every person I've talked to with a "pet" monkey or ape... the animal was UNDER 4 years old(usually under 2). Once they get larger and mature, they begin to act like primates should. That means biting and pushing the owner around to get status.
I volunteered at the local monkey rescue. They are not pets. Sadly, people get them, then discard them when they turn into monkeys instead of babys. They pull their teeth, and even in some cases amputate fingers! Poor diets, since the owner will feed them people foods and treats, lead to bone deseases.
It's very sad. I've only seen a couple folks that I feel were caring properly for primates.

[mooingtricycle]

over regulation is not the answer to the problem. The people who dont care about the law andwant to keep primates, will do so with no regard to the law, no matter how many are passed. ( Look at smuggling reptiles, you think those people care? Laws dont stop them! The money looks far better than a few years prison sentence, and a fine!) The same as the black market for guns ( over regulation only hurts the GOOD people, the RESPONSIBLE people) i can tell you, that if you went out on the street and talked with some people who you wouldn't even imagine as "shady", you'd be ABLE to find yourself a black market gun available.

The laws arent stopping people from doing what they want. why punish the responsible keepers? RESPONSIBLE keepers, wouldnt bring their pet primates out in public, and drive them around town. Responsible keepers would take measures to prevent that animal from escaping from their home. responsible people would also cage the animal in an apropriate enclosure that is escape proof, when friends come over. ( Wild animals are JUST THAT. WILD They are unpredictable, no matter how well you think you know them)
Ive spoken with one lady that used to keep them, she said they are NOT good "pets"nor are they for just anybody. They are like children, but worse, and need constant attention and stimulation. If these things stop being given, they can have problems. Responsible steps need to be taken to ensure the animal will thrive.

Im never for over regulation. It dosnt solve the problem.

and heck, HUMANS can carry all sorts of diseases. How many primates have the people who HAVE worked with them, met with these diseases? How many more humans have they met that have them ( That they KNEW about?). Kind of a moot point there IMHO. My chances are higher of dying by a deadly snake( Large, Hot... Whatever), than being attacked by a primate. Heck, my chances are higher of dying at HUMAN hands, than any animal..... I guarantee it. People are overreacting to a situation that is the first ive heard about in a pretty long time.

[dsirkle]

Well, following a news story about a chimp ripping off somebodies face you can expect the kneejerk politicians to propose legislation without even a week going by and without studying any data. And the Journalists will write about it in sensationalist terms to sell newspapers. The comparison to gun control is a good one Miss Moo.