Can you keep a baby chimpanzee?

Keeping baby chimpanzee as pets is illegal in the United Kingdom, as it transgresses the laws on keeping and importing wild animals. There are serious problems with keeping primates as pets, as they can never be fully safe for humans. There is also the problem that creatures as intelligent as chimpanzees might have rights like humans do.

The law

Importing wild animals There are strict laws covering the import of wild animals into the United Kingdom, and they specify that any one importing a wild creature must obtain a licence from DEFRA. The Chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, is officially a wild animal. It is unlikely that a private individual would be allowed to have a licence to import one. Zoos and scientific institutions might be allowed to do so. Certainly, it would not be possible to keep one as a pet. Owning a chimpanzee Of course, someone might try to obtain a chimpanzee born in this country, but even then, the law would intervene. A licence would be required. To obtain a licence, the owner would have to ensure that he/she provides proper accomodation and diet. The law requires that the animal be kept in conditions safe for humans and safe for their selves. These conditions are unlikely to be properly met, so Defra would refuse a licence.

Baby chimpanzees

Baby chimpanzees are intelligent creatures who have emotional needs. They need their mothers, so to keep a baby chimp is to deprive it of its mother. This is animal cruelty. Animals that are mother-deprived can develop aggressive qualities, so it is likely that you will be abusing the creature. Of course, an orphan chimpanzee is different . It might benefit from being cared for by humans for a while, but it should not be absorbed into human society, where it will never have the language or intelligence to fit. Chimpanzees need the company of their own species. As their emotional needs are not being met, you are unlikely to qualify to keep a baby chimpanzee. There is also the problem that babies grow up. The cute chimpanzee baby can become an aggressive adult who might turn on humans, and they can do serious damage. This means that it is very unlikely that a licence to own a chimpanzee would be granted to a private individual. There is also the yet unsolved problem of whether chimpanzees are persons. If they are persons, they have the same rights as humans. Just as people would not keep a human person as a pet, they would not be permitted to keep an animal person as a pet.