The Issues
Destruction of Their Natural Habitat
Habitat loss and fragmentation remain among the greatest threats facing wild primates. Forests continue to be cleared or altered for agriculture, logging, development, roads, mining and other human activities. As natural habitats shrink and become increasingly fragmented, primates lose access to the food, shelter and safe travel corridors they need to survive.
The result is greater contact between humans and wildlife, increased competition for resources and growing pressure on already vulnerable populations. Protecting and restoring healthy ecosystems is essential not only for primates, but for the countless species and human communities that depend on these environments.
Human Encroachment & Conflict
As human development expands into traditional primate habitat, encounters between people and wild primates are becoming more common. Loss of forests and natural food sources can force animals into farms, plantations and communities in search of food.
These encounters can lead to crop loss, injury, retaliation and the killing or displacement of primates. Increased contact between humans and primates may also increase the potential for disease transmission in both directions. Long-term conservation requires protecting habitat while finding solutions that allow wildlife and neighboring communities to safely coexist.
Bushmeat, Hunting & Wildlife Trafficking
Primates continue to be hunted for food, commercial bushmeat markets and the illegal wildlife trade. In some regions, animals are also killed so their body parts, skins or other products can be sold or kept as trophies and curios.
Hunting can have a devastating effect on primate populations, particularly when combined with habitat loss and slow reproductive rates. Removing even a relatively small number of animals from an already threatened population can have lasting consequences for the survival of the species and the health of the ecosystem around it.
Illegal & Exploitative Pet Trade
The primate pet trade remains a serious and evolving concern. Social media and online marketplaces have made it easier than ever to advertise, sell and obtain primates, sometimes disguising commercial sales as “rehoming,” “adoption” or rescue.
A 2026 report from WWF, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the International Fund for Animal Welfare documented more than 1,600 primates advertised for sale on major social media platforms during just six weeks of monitoring in 2025.
Wild infants may be taken from their mothers to supply the trade, and the capture and transportation process can cause significant suffering and mortality. Even captive-bred primates have complex social, behavioral, dietary and environmental needs that are extremely difficult to meet in a private home.
Primates are wild animals—not domesticated pets. Protecting them means reducing demand, strengthening responsible wildlife protections and helping the public understand the serious animal-welfare and conservation consequences associated with keeping primates as pets.
In the wild, the sky is the limit for endless acrobatic exploration and play.
It is the “Freedom place” where primates were meant to live out their
lives and to flourish. – Polly Schultz