The Cruel Reality of Primate Pet Ownership | Dan O’Neill Investigates | BBC Studios

The exotic pet trade is huge, and it's on the rise. But why are primates such a popular pet choice, and does social media paint a full picture of what it's like to own one? What impact does having a primate as a pet have on its welfare? Biologist and filmmaker Dan O'Neill investigates this controversial trade.
*From April 2026, in the UK, "It will no longer be possible to keep primates as household pets in environments that fail to provide for their needs." (Ref: gov.uk)
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[@curiousuranus810]

I'd like to say I'm shocked, but it's typical of government to propose something, that should have been made a law years ago, but do nothing until their parliamentary time has run out.

[@JohnDoeTheTroll]

Most primates require a special diet as well. Grapes and fruit are not the only thing they eat. As a retired animal control officer, I've witnessed several monkeys who had gone blind because of an incorrect diet. Get a kitten or a puppy if you absolutely must, but please leave primates out of your desire to impress others, they are living beings.

[@golemcrimson]

I'm interested in why there's such a focus on the "likes" and traffic these videos get instead of the subject of the illegal pet trade that allows this in the first place.

[@JohnDoeTheTroll]

Most primates require a special diet as well. Grapes and fruit are not the only thing they eat. As a retired animal control officer, I've witnessed several monkeys who had gone blind because of an incorrect diet. Get a kitten or a puppy if you absolutely must, but please leave primates out of your desire to impress others, they are living beings.