Primates for Purchase: The surge in sales on social media in the U.S.
The report, ‘Primates for Purchase: The Surge in Sales on Social Media in the US (2026)’, reveals the alarming extent to which primates are being traded openly on major social media platforms in the United States. Published by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the study incorporates online monitoring research, stakeholder interviews, regulatory mapping, and media analysis, with recommendations for policymakers, law enforcement agencies, technology companies, and the public.
WWF: In the US, a major driver of demand for live, non-human primates is the exotic pet trade. With a quick search on many social media platforms, the animals can be seen staged as if participating in human activities such as bathing, eating, and riding in cars. As popular culture has changed over time, various studies have looked at the impact of human interactions with primates being shown on popular platforms and viewers’ perception of owning primates as pets.
The studies found that viewing such content led to a higher likelihood of perceiving primates as suitable pets, even if the content was intended to depict research. This finding raises major concerns regarding the millions of social media posts that promote” pet” primate ownership. Indeed, studies have found that viewing videos of primates in such settings can increase viewers’ desire to keep those species as pets, as evidenced by search trends.
There is often widespread misinterpretation of animal behaviors seen in online videos. For example, a 2013 viral video showed a slow loris, a nocturnal species from Southeast Asia, being “tickled”– an image that appealed to viewers even though the animal’s response was in fact one of distress. A subsequent study analyzing additional videos of slow lorises found that the content had more engagement by viewers if the animal demonstrated distress or was shown in daylight, even though this is an undesirable condition for a nocturnal animal.
Conservationists, primatologists, researchers, and veterinarians have extensively documented that primates do not make suitable pets given their complex social and nutritional needs, risk of harming humans from physical attacks or disease transmission, and concerns around sourcing from the wild. Despite this conclusion, estimates suggest there are over 15,000 primates kept as pets in the United States.
A national online survey 26 conducted by IFAW in 2025 aimed to better understand public sentiment regarding regulation of primates kept as pets. The survey results indicate strong public concern in the US regarding primate ownership and human-primate interactions. A notable portion of respondents reported either personal experience or familiarity with others who have interacted with primates, suggesting that primate encounters—whether through tourism, pet ownership, or online exposure are not uncommon.
Despite this familiarity, the majority of respondents support a federal ban on keeping monkeys and chimpanzees as pets. Findings also show strong public backing for accountability in the online exotic animal trade. Most Americans believe that responsibility for verifying the legality of exotic pets sold online should lie not only with sellers, but also with buyers and the platforms that facilitate such transactions. SOURCE
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