Thinking about a pet monkey in Rhode Island? State law says no
Maybe you've seen the "Friends" episode where Ross adopts a pet monkey named Marcel – only to eventually give him to a zoo because he's a wild and exotic animal.
If you're thinking about adopting a monkey in Rhode Island, you may want to think twice: keeping one as a pet is illegal.
State laws limit which animals can be kept to protect both people and wildlife from harm, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM). Many wild animals don't do well in homes.
Capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica.
And although monkeys are primates like humans, they have never been domesticated in the United States. Pet monkeys have "attacked and seriously injured their guardians as well as unsuspecting neighbors and their pets," according to the ASPCA.
Monkeys are not native to the U.S. or Canada. They live primarily in southern Mexico, Central and South America, Africa and southern Asia, according to the New England Primate Conservancy.
Is it legal to have a pet monkey in Rhode Island?
Primates are strictly prohibited from being kept as pets, including all monkeys, according to Evan LaCross, a DEM public affairs officer.
Which mammals are legal to keep as pets in RI?
Domestic animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and cows, are allowed as pets in Rhode Island. And you can actually keep some wild animals without a permit, according to the Department of Environmental Management.
Domestic mammals allowed as pets in Rhode Island:
- Alpaca (Lama pacos)
- Domestic camel (Camelus dromedarius, Camelus bactrianus)
- Domestic cat (Felis catus), excluding hybrids with wild felines
- Domestic cattle (Bos taurus, Bos indicus)
- Domestic dog (Canis familiaris), excluding hybrids with wild canids
- Domestic horse (Equus caballus, Equus asinus), including hybrids with other domestic equines, but not hybrids with wild equines
- Domestic goat (Capra hircus)
- Domestic hamster derived from (Mesocricetus auratus, Phodopus sp.)
- Domestic rabbit, including breeds, varieties, and strains derived from the
- European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), but not including the European rabbit (Ferae naturae) or "San Juan" rabbit
- Domestic sheep (Ovis aries)
- Domestic swine (Sus scrofa domestica), excluding those animals that meet the definition of wild/feral swine
- Domestic water buffalo (Bubalis bubalis)
- Domestic yak (Bos grunniens)
- Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)
- Laboratory mouse, including breeds, varieties, and strains derived from the house mouse (Mus musculus)
- Laboratory rat, including breeds, varieties, and strains derived from the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- Llama (Lama glama)
- Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)
Wild (but legal) mammals allowed as pets in Rhode Island:
- Four-toed (African pygmy) hedgehog (Erinaceus albiventris or Atelerix pruneri)
- Chinchilla (Chinchilla, etc.) derived from captive stock
- Degu (Octodon degus)
- Egyptian spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus)
- House mouse (Mus musculus)
- Jerboas (Dipus, etc.)
- Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- Paca (Cuniculus, etc.)
- Captive-bred hamsters that are common pet trade species
- Sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)
- Ferret (Mustela putorius), but requires a ferret possession permit issued through the Division of Fish & Wildlife
Can I apply for a permit for a pet monkey in RI?
Even if you apply for a permit to keep a pet monkey in Rhode Island, you probably won't receive one.
Primate ownership is restricted to genuine researchers, USDA-licensed exhibitors and organizations certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to the Department of Environmental Management.
