PETITION TARGET: U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means
A monkey imported from Mauritius to the U.S. was reportedly trapped for five days without food or water after being left inside a shipping crate and discarded in a biohazard waste dumpster in early 2026. The monkey was ultimately killed.
This was more than an isolated accident. It was a symptom of a systemic, cruel, and dangerous trade.
A bipartisan bill, H.R. 8471, known as the PRIMATE Act (Preventing Risky Importation of Monkeys to Avoid Toxic Exposure) could help end this cruel trade by prohibiting the importation of most nonhuman primates into the United States.
Nearly 100,000 primates were imported for laboratory testing from 2021-2024 through supply chains linked to overcrowding, illegal trafficking, and poor disease surveillance, according to lawmakers behind the bill. These imports may also expose workers and communities to dangerous pathogens, including tuberculosis and herpes B virus.
If enacted, the PRIMATE Act would stop the importation of monkeys except in extremely limited circumstances, protecting both animals and public health.
Sign our petition urging the House Committee on Ways and Means to pass the PRIMATE Act and help end this cruel trade.
