A new report from major wildlife and animal protection organisations has found a large increase in the online sale of monkeys and other primates in the United States.
The report, called Primates for Purchase: The Surge in Sales on Social Media in the US, was published by the World Wildlife Fund, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Researchers monitored social media activity during a six-week period in 2025 and found more than 1,600 primates listed for sale on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Many listings were easy to find by searching for terms like “monkey adoption” or “rehoming”.
Sellers used “rehoming” to avoid rules
According to the report, many sellers tried to hide commercial sales by describing them as rescues or rehoming efforts.
Researchers found 1,131 posts from 122 different social media users advertising 1,614 live primates for sale.
The animals included macaques, capuchins, marmosets, spider monkeys, lemurs and chimpanzees.
Macaques were the most commonly advertised animals, with 839 identified in the study.
Many animals were babies
Researchers said many of the primates being sold online were babies or young animals.
The report warned that baby primates are often taken from their mothers in the wild because buyers believe young animals bond more easily with humans.
Experts said many animals suffer trauma, injuries or death during smuggling and transport before reaching buyers.
Wildlife groups warn of growing problem
About 60% of the world’s primate species are already threatened with extinction, while around 75% have declining populations.
Wildlife experts say habitat destruction, hunting and illegal wildlife trade are major causes. Sara Walker from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums said the report should be a “wake-up call”.
Experts also warned that the growing visibility of primates on social media could increase demand unless stronger laws and better enforcement are introduced.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theanimalreader.com
