My Child Is A Monkey: Torn From The Untamed Nature

My Child Is a Monkey: Torn from the Untamed Nature

“There are around 15,000 primates owned in America and many are more than just pets their momkids” (My Child Is a Monkey). In the one-hour special documentary, My Child Is a Monkey, ITV Studios Global Entertainment and Zig Zag Productions create a film about the ownership of monkey’s in the United States. Monkey parents share their uncommon reasons of why they own primates from wanting a companion to wanting a 'forever baby.’ The film puts into perspective the dilemma of these real-life family’s struggling to overcome the challenges of taking care of a wild monkey taken away from their mothers. In National Geographic, “The Perils of Keeping Monkeys as Pets” Veterinarian Kevin Wright of the Arizona Zoo states that, "Primates are highly intelligent,

Monkeys are generally considered to be ingenious and to have the ability to use tools, learn new skills, and show various signs of self-awareness. In captivity, the monkey has been known to live for more than 40 years. Many monkey species are either tree-dwellers or species that live primarily on the ground with hirsute skin. Primates are social animals who need to be around one another because without each other the monkeys would become psychologically damaged and emotionally. In addition, monkeys have an overweening self-confidence. In Buddhism, primates represent trickery and ugliness. Monkeys range in size from as small as four and half inches. Their diets consist of fruits, leaves, insects, and seeds. Twenty states have banned private primate ownership, however, legally there's no federal law that states that can’t own any exotic animals. While instead, states and local legislatures decide whether or not to allow the ownership of exotic animals. For instance, in Nevada you can legally own a pet monkey, however, in Colorado it is completely illegal. Primates are becoming one of the most exotic animals to