Monkeys Belong in Rain Forests, Not on Film Sets, Says Born Free USA's Adam Roberts
For Immediate Release:
September 21, 2011
Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382
Sacramento Calif. -- In response to the news that Cameron Crowe's upcoming film, We Bought a Zoo, heavily features a capuchin monkey and other wild animals, Adam Roberts, the executive vice president for Sacramento-based Born Free USA, which operates a primate sanctuary, has sent the director an urgent letter to urge him to promise never again to use animals in his films. In the letter, Roberts explains that monkeys are intelligent animals who belong in the wild—and that films like We Bought a Zoo often inspire people to mistakenly seek out monkeys to keep as "pets," only to cast them off when it proves difficult to care for them.
"In the wild, capuchin monkeys form complex social structures and engage in sophisticated problem-solving, but Crystal [the capuchin monkey in We Bought a Zoo] spends her time indoors without any contact with other capuchins," writes Roberts. "It is time for Crystal to be retired to a sanctuary and live out her life in a natural environment."
For more information, please visit PETA.org and IPPL.org.
Adam Roberts'
letter to Cameron Crowe follows.
Dear
Mr. Crowe,
Crystal the capuchin monkey's appearance in We Bought a Zoo may be funny to some human audiences, but life in show business is no joke to animals. We are concerned for Crystal's welfare and urge you to stop featuring real animals in your work. In the wild, capuchin monkeys form complex social structures and engage in sophisticated problem-solving, but Crystal spends her time indoors without any contact with other capuchins. It is time for Crystal to be retired to a sanctuary and live out her life in a natural environment.
Born Free USA operates a primate sanctuary that cares for capuchins and other primates previously held in private ownership. While we wish we could return all of these animals to the wild, they are not equipped to survive and so the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary serves as the second-best option where monkeys can just be monkeys. We invite you to visit us in Texas, tour the sanctuary and see for yourself how the animals live in a natural environment. They spend their days grooming each other, climbing trees, and munching on the local vegetation. Even the animals most accustomed to human contact come to thrive in this environment. Some have had to learn how to eat fruit, nuts, and vegetation while others are baffled by the feeling of dirt under their feet, but every single one has ultimately embraced their naturalistic home. Crystal deserves this kind of life.
Wildlife belongs in the wild, but when exotic animals are featured in movies, it increases the attractiveness of keeping wild animals as pets. A study by the University of Chicago found earlier this year that when people see primates (the study used chimpanzees) in human settings they are more likely to think of them as suitable pets than when they view them in a natural environment. Keeping exotic animals in private homes compromises animal welfare and poses serious risks to people. As exotic animals grow older they require more space and more food, and when they lack access to these necessities they may become agitated, distressed, and aggressive. Sadly, there are hundreds of incidents every year of people, including many children, being bitten, mauled, and even killed by exotic "pets."
In addition to concerns for animal welfare, the use of exotic animals in entertainment raises concerns for wild populations. As people become accustomed to seeing wild animals in film alongside people, they become less concerned about the longevity of wild populations of the same animals. The University of Chicago study mentioned previously found this to be true about chimpanzees, and it would also apply to endangered capuchin species. Featuring Crystal in movies helps support a false assumption that capuchins are not endangered and that wild populations do not require our attention in order to survive.
There are plenty of alternatives to exploiting animals in film. Modern technology allows us to create amazing computer generated images of animals and realistic animatronics. We sincerely hope you will tour the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary to understand how capuchin monkeys like Crystal should be living and refrain from using real animals in film in the future.
Sincerely,
Adam Roberts
Executive Vice
President