How Monkeys and Apes Suffer at Roadside Zoos

HBO’s Chimp Crazy shocked viewers with its heartbreaking look inside the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation, where chimpanzees suffered in filthy, cramped cages. While the animals featured in the explosive docuseries were rescued so they could thrive at reputable sanctuaries, countless primates remain trapped in similar hellholes—used, abused, and discarded for the sake of “entertainment.” Seedy roadside zoos and bogus “sanctuaries” exploit monkeys, apes, and other primates, robbing them of everything that makes their lives meaningful.

Primates in Nature vs. Behind Bars

In nature, primates thrive. They race through rainforest treetops, form intricate social bonds, and communicate using regional dialects. Lemurs in Madagascar leap between ancient trees. Macaques in Asia groom each other on riverbanks. Orangutans in Southeast Asia pass down complex foraging tricks from generation to generation. South America’s marmosets mate for life and share parental duties. These animals live in rich social circles, form lifelong bonds, and express emotions as humans do. But in roadside zoos, they often rot in isolation, pacing in cages with concrete floors and rusted bars.

5 Red Flags That Scream “Roadside Zoo”

1. Concrete and Wire Floors

Primates are climbers, runners, and explorers who live in complex, ever-changing environments. But roadside zoos often confine them to small, barren enclosures with nothing but concrete or wire floors that damage their feet, legs, and joints. Tree-dwellers like capuchins and squirrel monkeys may never see a single tree branch. Other species, like macaques and baboons, never have the space to run, forage, and socialize. Enclosures typically don’t have grass, trees, climbing structures, or other elements resembling their natural habitats. Sometimes, primates don’t even have access to the outdoors at all.

Primates are highly intelligent and active animals who, in nature, rely on rich social relationships and constant environmental stimulation. These lifeless cages strip them of the behaviors that keep them healthy and sane.

2. Soul-Crushing Isolation

Imagine being locked alone in a closet for life. Monkeys and apes are deeply social animals who usually live in large, complex social groups, each with distinct cultures, communication styles, and behaviors. In their tight-knit communities, they often bond with one another through grooming, playing, and foraging. Baby monkeys and apes spend much time clinging to their nurturing, loving mothers for care and protection. Isolation is a miserable sentence for our fellow primates, whose social relationship define their lives. Yet many roadside zoos confine primates in solitary enclosures, causing them severe psychological distress.

3. Public Encounters

Roadside zoos often exploit smaller primates in direct-contact encounters with the public, such as photo ops. These sensitive animals endure constant handling, loud crowds, and chaotic environments, which are deeply stressful and unnatural. Officials have cited multiple facilities for allowing monkeys to climb on visitors, risking bites, injuries, and spreading disease. See PETA’s list of primate incidents here.

4. Junk-Food Diets

Popcorn, cereal, and candy are not monkey food, but many roadside zoos encourage visitors to feed animals junk food despite the serious health consequences. When eaten in large amounts, these “snacks” can cause diarrhea, obesity, and other serious health problems. Primates need a balanced diet of proteins, fresh vegetables, fruits, and other nutrients that closely resemble what they would eat in nature.

5. Repetitive Behaviors

Monkeys and apes at roadside zoos exhibit a high rate of abnormal repetitive behaviors such as pacing, backflipping, overgrooming, repetitive swinging, and thumb-sucking. Many resort to self-harming behaviors, such as pulling out their hair. These behaviors are indicators of acute psychological distress, a response to confinement in barren environments, stress, and neglect.

How You Can Help Primates Suffering at Roadside Zoos

Our fellow primates don’t belong in cages. They don’t exist to be gawked at or for photo ops. Never visit a roadside zoo or any other facility that exploits animals. Click the button below to take action for chimpanzees suffering in the pet trade and at roadside zoos.