r/FreeTheMonkeys

Repost from: Last Chance for Animals (LCA)

🚨100 DAYS. NO ANSWERS. NO ACCOUNTABILITY. YORK UNIVERSITY REMAINS SILENT.🚨

It has been 100 days since LCA exposed the suffering of nine rhesus macaques used in neuroscience research at York University. Yet York University remains silent and has failed to take accountability for the suffering documented in the investigation.

The investigation exposed macaques suffering from cranial implants, social isolation, restraint collars, and water deprivation.

💔SOME OF THE MACAQUES HAVE BEEN SUFFERING AT YORK FOR 17 YEARS.💔

LCA continues to call on York University to end its primate research, surrender the macaques to a sanctuary, and prioritize the use and development of non-animal methods.

➡️100 DAYS OF SILENCE IS 100 DAYS TOO LONG.⬅️

To learn more and take action, visit:
SaveTheYork9.com

York University

This is just awful. Woman runs Big Cat Habitat in Florida.

For months my boyfriend and i have been innocently sending baby monkeys videos to each other.

But recently I came across that a lot of these videos come from the same account so I decided to just watch a few of their other videos. Which is when I realized why they had posted so many baby monkey videos.

It was their tactic to filter torture videos of baby monkeys.

Ive really never had the greatest feeling about these "innocent" looking monkey videos only because the monkeys seemed to be afraid of the person recording.

But these few videos I saw all involved baby monkeys and dogs.

One was a baby monkey blind folded while being tormented by dogs, the dogs would pick up the baby monkey and put its teeth around the head, neck and little body.

Another video of a smaller dog TUGGING at the leg of a baby monkey. It was extremely aggressive.

These torture rings have been around for a while. And im not asking for a permanent solution as much as i want that to happen it feels also impossible. Lots of these videos are filmed in Indonesia and the people there often take requests of what type of torture they want to see happen on a baby monkey.

This is for anyone who has Instagram. PLEASE report the account enough for it to get taken down.

What is the point of this? Look at the fear in this monkey. What is the point of these videos? I can’t help but think they beat this monkey into submission.

IMO they are steadily losing followers. Are people finally coming to their senses???

On my feed recently came this pet monkey owner from somewhere in the Midwest region of the U.S. Very modest subscriber count but as we all know the damage done to these primates is the same whether 100 subscribers or a million subscribers. The primates suffer from a socially isolated existence with no autonomy or agency, and treated like perpetual toddlers/surrogate children. Plus the damage goes far beyond just these monkeys, the general public are swayed by these 'cute' images and videos and seek to purchase pet monkeys of their own.

Constantly fed human junk food like fruit rollups:

https://preview.redd.it/w0mlzjmfzgih1.png?width=788&format=png&auto=webp&s=a2b7d8d5176b7af30742fe9e0f1c46a1882b6b14

Transported around in a vehicle with no primary cage inside the vehicle:

https://preview.redd.it/kwaozwslzgih1.png?width=790&format=png&auto=webp&s=bdeb304e5c1ae621291e3964208fecd26b8c1c1d

Regularly taken out to the public for up close interactions:

https://preview.redd.it/miaiqqcrzgih1.png?width=786&format=png&auto=webp&s=76f83e65055370e73069a023dbbc8e2a8b2d02c6

Constantly diapered, leashed, and treated like toddlers with no agency whatsoever. This particularly monkey is estimated to be around 8 years of age, let that sink in:

https://preview.redd.it/8tsk0wiszgih1.png?width=902&format=png&auto=webp&s=3afc62bd6f71d4f32835ad8292305b90dece38d7

I doubt this owner even has a USDA Class C exhibitor license, which is basically worthless, yes, but is required for any pet monkey owner that exploits their monkeys on social media and exhibits them to the public like this individual does.

Which leads us to the only real solution to ending this perpetual nightmare for pet primates in America, the Captive Primate Safety Act.

The current bills, H.R. 3199 in the House and S. 1594 in the Senate, are awaiting action in their respective committees. Members of the public can help by contacting Congress and asking lawmakers to support and advance the legislation.

To-do list:

☐ 1. Find your U.S. Representative and Senators

Go to Congress.gov and use the "Contact Your Member" feature to find your lawmakers.

https://www.congress.gov/

https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative?utm_source=chatgpt.com

House bill: H.R. 3199 — Captive Primate Safety Act of 2025

Senate bill: S. 1594 — Captive Primate Safety Act of 2025

☐ 2. Check whether your lawmakers are already cosponsors (very important step)

Look at the "Cosponsors" tab on the H.R. 3199 and S. 1594 pages.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3199/cosponsors

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1594/cosponsors

If they are NOT a cosponsor:
Ask them to cosponsor and support the Captive Primate Safety Act.

If they ARE already a cosponsor:
Thank them, then ask them to continue advocating for committee action and passage of the bill.

☐ 3. Ask them for action, not just support

A useful specific request is:

"Please cosponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act and urge congressional leadership and the appropriate committee to advance the legislation."

The House bill was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

The Senate bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

☐ 4. Personalize your message

You don't need to write an essay.

You can use just a few sentences explaining why ending the private pet primate trade matters to you.

Possible issues to mention include:

• Primates' complex social and psychological needs
• Public safety and serious injuries from captive primates
• Zoonotic disease concerns
• Primates being purchased as babies and later surrendered
• Burdens placed on legitimate sanctuaries
• Illegal wildlife trafficking
• Social-media content that encourages people to acquire primates as pets

Personalized messages from constituents can be much more meaningful than simply copying and pasting the same form letter.

☐ 5. Call your lawmakers' offices too

You don't have to be an expert. Many of us here are not.

But you can call and simply say:

"I'm a constituent calling to ask Representative/Senator ______ to support and cosponsor the Captive Primate Safety Act, H.R. 3199/S. 1594, and to support efforts to move the legislation forward."

That's plenty enough to get the point across.

☐ 6. Share documented examples when appropriate

If you've personally documented a relevant situation involving captive primates, you can include credible information when contacting lawmakers.

Stick to observable and verifiable facts rather than speculation or accusations.

Examples might include documented escapes, attacks, trafficking cases, animals being sold or transferred through the pet trade, inadequate conditions, or primates eventually requiring placement at sanctuaries. There are many examples on this subreddit.

☐ 7. Ask friends and family in other states to participate

Members of Congress pay particular attention to their own constituents.

Instead of everyone contacting the same politician, getting people from many congressional districts and states involved can broaden support for the legislation.

☐ 8. Follow up

Don't assume one email has to be the end of it.

Check periodically to see whether your representative or senators have become cosponsors or whether the legislation has advanced.

If nothing has changed, politely contact them again.

QUICK COPY/PASTE MESSAGE:

"Hello, I am a constituent asking [Representative/Senator NAME] to support the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 3199/S. 1594).

Primates are highly intelligent, social wild animals whose needs cannot adequately be met as household pets. The private primate trade also creates serious animal-welfare, public-safety, disease, trafficking, and sanctuary-placement concerns.

Please cosponsor this legislation if you have not already done so and support efforts to advance it through committee and toward passage.

Thank you for your consideration."

MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER

The Captive Primate Safety Act isn't something we should simply wait for Congress to act upon.

More cosponsors, more constituent contacts, and more attention can demonstrate that the public wants action.

Be polite. Be factual. Be persistent.

And please do not harass lawmakers, staff, primate owners, or anyone else. Advocacy is strongest when it is accurate, respectful, and focused on changing the law.

H.R. 3199 | S. 1594 — Captive Primate Safety Act

This owner spent over an hour on Facebook livestream ranting and over an hour on TikTok sitting on his couch providing zero enrichment for his monkeys. That was over two hours of his time he could have used to create new and meaningful content with his monkeys, enrich their lives and bring people 'joy,' yet instead he chooses to sit on a couch and rant/threaten this subreddit.

The unfortunate monkey on his livestream is soon to be 8 years old, continually manhandled by a leash and restricted in every way possible. An 8 year old male capuchin monkey in the wild is just starting his journey into becoming a productive member of a troop, possibly even setting himself up one day to become an alpha. It is no surprise this monkey has been displaying behavioral abnormalities on film for over five years.

(Note: some of the sound/synchro issues in the video were on Dr. P's livestream end)

Do yall financially support a petsore who tortures animals? Especially the one in Kansas city who tortures Franky the Monkey? The Pet Stop, located in Shawnee, Kansas (Johnson County If you wouldn't please contact https://www.kcactionforanimals.org/

Here's another pet monkey owner that showed up on my feed. While this particular owner doesn't possess a huge following, nevertheless the damage they do to spider monkeys is just as bad as those with tens or even hundreds of thousands of followers.

Note the unsettling appearance of the monkeys::

These are all recent pictures (August 2026)

https://preview.redd.it/gs93rpkbewhh1.png?width=918&format=png&auto=webp&s=ea35858dc8aedfe260d7f4798f4c58b9b80c4a2a

My non-expert opinion is that these infant spider monkeys do not look healthy whatsoever. Notice the alopecia and poor coat quality. The monkeys exhibit patchy hair loss notably around the crown of the head. Their skin also appears dry and flaking around the facial areas. These monkeys also appear to be underweight with prominent facial bones and sunken eyes. This is typical of pet spider monkeys separated prematurely from their mothers and suffering from nutritional deficiencies, lack of UVB exposure, and stress.

Note the questionable caption to this photo:

https://preview.redd.it/ag3gkauafwhh1.png?width=894&format=png&auto=webp&s=3475744950926daaf63208e463d819b5ddd4f5fd

I honestly don't see how any veterinarian with non-human primate experience would consider these monkeys to look 'great.' Their vitals at the time may have been normal, but that is hardly indicative of health especially without a full bloodwork. The most disturbing comment was a reference to "Remi" who apparently passed away some time ago. Just another example of why we will never know the true death toll of pet primates in America, and how this topic gets buried in the overall discussion about owning pet monkeys by unethical owners.

And, of course, feeding their monks inappropriate foods:

https://preview.redd.it/aaolwwzogwhh1.png?width=916&format=png&auto=webp&s=0712111672d123e6d25d33b77c088918bab4b508

https://i.redd.it/p9oslxirgwhh1.gif

Feeding infants solid bananas/fruits and commercial yogurt is introducing excessive sugars into their bodies. These types of foods, unlike mother's milk/specialized formulas, lack the important nutrients, protein, and calcium/vitamin D3 essential for developing spider monkeys. This puts them at very high risk of metabolic bone disease (MBD) as well as gastrointestinal issues.

And, as per usual with all of these pet monkey owners, these spiders are diapered, put in pet strollers, fleece blankets, and dressed up to humanize them for social media. There is no environmental enrichment whatsoever.

And this, a clip showing what appears to be stereotypic behavior:

Spider monkey displaying stereotypic behaviors

Note the monkey vigorously picking at her legs, as well as the sudden contortion of her leg into an unusual position. These are typically classic signs of underlying physiological or psychological distress. Monkeys like this kept in isolation from their species and in an environment lacking in any proper complexity or stimulation often develop these types of repetitive, non-functional behaviors (stereotypies). This is a coping mechanism for boredom, stress, or anxiety.

These behaviors may also indicate physical discomfort or skin irritation from contact dermatitis, dry skin, parasites, or irritation from clothing/diapers. It may also signal nutritional deficiencies like metabolic bone disease, which causes tingling, numbness, or joint discomfort due to nutritional deficiencies like metabolic bone disease.

Sadly this is just a few of the many thousands of spider monkeys that live in similar species-inappropriate environments. Exploited and abused for whatever profit and clout their owners can milk out of them while still manageable.