[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 24, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E311-E312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CAPTIVE PRIMATE SAFETY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JAMES A. HIMES

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 23, 2009

  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 80, the Captive 
Primate Safety Act, a bill that will protect public health and safety 
as well as animal welfare by prohibiting interstate commerce in 
primates for the exotic pet trade.
  Last week, a woman from my district was brutally attacked and nearly 
killed by a chimpanzee that had been kept as a pet in a private home. 
Though the victim is currently receiving treatment at a specialized 
clinic, it is very likely that her wounds are grave and the effects 
lifelong.

[[Page E312]]

  An estimated 15,000 primates are in private hands in the United 
States, and while some may think chimpanzees and monkeys are good pets, 
last week's incident made tragically clear that these animals are 
unsafe when not under supervision of trained professionals. According 
to the Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition, at least 100 people 
have been injured by captive primates over the past decade.
  Currently, twenty states prohibit keeping primates as pets, and the 
importation of such animals into the United States for the pet trade 
has been prohibited by federal law since 1975. Nevertheless, primates 
such as the one involved in last week's tragic incident in Stamford are 
bred in the United States and are readily available for purchase from 
exotic animal dealers and on the Internet.
  By adding primates to the list of animals that cannot be purchased or 
transported as pets across state lines by individuals, H.R. 80 targets 
the pet trade and does not affect trade or transportation of animals 
between zoos, research facilities, or other federally licensed and 
regulated entities. This is a targeted, common-sense bill that will 
further protect our communities and promote animal welfare, and I urge 
my colleagues to support the bill.

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