Chimp Crazy Documentary Highlights Tragic Consequences of Exotic Pet Ownership

AZA Supports Passage of the Captive Primate Safety Act

Silver Spring, Md. (August 18, 2024)―Chimp Crazy, a four-part documentary that explores the complex world of chimpanzees in human care, will debut today on HBO. The documentary follows four chimpanzees and the heartbreaking circumstances of their lives.

As a leader in animal care and wellbeing, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is deeply concerned by the activities shown throughout Chimp Crazy. Primates are not pets. The relationship between humans and chimpanzees, our closest relative in the wild kingdom, goes back centuries and has aspects that often cast us in a poor light. Chimpanzees have been used in a variety of research settings, including biomedical research and trauma studies. They have been exploited in the entertainment industry and have been kept as pets, often with tragic consequences―both for the people who own them and the chimpanzees themselves. They have even been sent to space in our stead.

"We share 98% of our DNA with chimpanzees, and yet people have often fallen short when it comes to the wellbeing of these remarkable animals," said Dan Ashe, president and chief executive officer of AZA. "The professional animal care staff at AZA-accredited facilities understand and deliver the sort of care these intelligent and sensitive animals need in a way that private individuals simply cannot. Primates do not make good pets and are often the victims of unscrupulous individuals who exploit them for profit in the illegal wildlife trade."

Only 13% of the nearly 2,000 wildlife exhibitors licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Animal Welfare Act have met the more comprehensive standards of AZA accreditation. To receive AZA accreditation, a facility must go through a thorough inspection to make sure it meets standards for animal welfare, care, and management, including living environments, social groupings, health, and nutrition. AZA's independent Accreditation Commission also evaluates the veterinary program, involvement in conservation and research, education programs, safety policies and procedures, security, physical facilities, guest services, and the quality of the institution's staff. And because a zoo or aquarium needs a strong foundation in order to continue to meet high standards, the accreditation process also evaluates each facility's finances, its governing authority, and its support organization. To maintain accreditation, every facility must be re-accredited every five years.

AZA, in concert with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, launched the Not a Pet campaign to educate people about the challenges of owning exotic pets. Even legal exotic pets can pose many challenges-taking care of them can be expensive, time-consuming, and dangerous-the focus of the campaign is on animals that may be unlawfully removed from their natural habitat or illegally sold for pets. The campaign also draws attention to the potential spread of zoonotic diseases.

"Exotic pet ownership is a widespread problem in the United States," said Ashe. "The private ownership of chimpanzees is particularly problematic and dangerous. This is one of the many reasons that AZA supports the passage of the Captive Primate Safety Act and continues to advocate for its passage."

More information about the Captive Primate Safety Act is available on AZA's website.

Chimpanzees are listed as endangered in the wild by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species™. AZA is committed to the care of chimpanzees at its accredited facilities as well as the conservation of chimpanzees in the wild through its SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction chimpanzee program, the goal of which is to improve the population status of all four chimpanzee subspecies.

About AZA
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation. AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and six other countries. Look for the AZA accreditation logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in saving species and your link to helping animals all over the world. To learn more, visit www.aza.org.

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