Home

This website is for anyone thinking of buying a chimpanzee as a pet, or hiring a chimpanzee to appear in an advertisement, film, or private function (like a birthday party). Although we focus on chimpanzees, everything we say here is true for all primates, including other great apes (orangutans, gorillas, bonobos), and monkeys.

Here, you will find the answers to various questions, such as:

1. Why you should NEVER buy a chimpanzee as a pet
2. Why chimpanzees are dangerous
3. Why entertainment chimpanzees are abused
4. How the entertainment industry is preventing the conservation of chimpanzees in the wild
5. How you can help

About the authors

Brian Hare is an Assistant Professor at Duke University. He has worked with chimpanzees for over 13 years and studies their temperament and psychology. Brian is the Scientific Advisor to Friends of Bonobos.

Vanessa Woods is a Research Scientist at Duke University and has studied bonobos and chimpanzees for six years. Vanessa is the author of Bonobo Handshake, about the research she and Brian conducted with bonobos and chimpanzees in Congo. Vanessa is on the Board of Directors of Friends of Bonobos.