It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Please don't choose a pet chimpanzee

It is surprising to some that owning a chimpanzee is currently legal in most of the United States (see here for individual state regulations pertaining to private ownership of exotic animals).  If you know about natural chimpanzee social behavior, you know that chimpanzees can be aggressive and quite dangerous.  However, many people are lured by the images in the media of cute, cuddly animals...easily handled and cared for by humans.   While this may be true of a youngster aged two or three years old, it will not remain true for long.  As chimpanzees start to mature, as early as five or six years of age, they will become much stronger and independent.  Those who are faced with this difficulty are often forced into the difficult decision to find a new home for their pet primate...and if a good home is not available, sometimes chimpanzees end up in the poor conditions of a roadside zoo or another bad circumstances.

PLEASE STOP THE CYCLE OF PET PRIMATE OWNERSHIP.  MAKE THE RESPONSIBLE CHOICE.