The documentary Chimp Crazy has stunned audiences with its look into the bizarre and dangerous world of America’s pet apes.
But this shocking map proves that the US isn’t the only country that’s gone ‘Chimp Crazy’ as it reveals the location of 250 ‘dangerous’ primates living in the UK.
From critically endangered lemurs in Hertfordshire to a baboon in Berkshire, the UK is home to far more primates than you might think.
In Buckinghamshire alone, data shows there are at least 30 capuchins and lemurs being kept in private hands.
So, could you be living near the next Travis the Chimp?
As the documentary Chimp Crazy shocks audiences, this map reveals the location of the 250 ‘dangerous’ primates living in the UK
The documentary Chimp Crazy reveals the bizarre and dangerous world of Tonia Haddix, America’s self-proclaimed ‘Dolly Parton of Chimps’
The majority of larger primates are legally considered ‘dangerous wild animals’, meaning a special license is needed to keep them.
In total, the UK issued more than 2,700 dangerous animal licences in 2023, allowing private individuals to own species ranging from venomous snakes to big cats.
According to the latest data, almost 10 per cent (256) of those licences were issued for dangerous primates.
On the interactive map below, you can see how many dangerous wild animals are being kept in captivity in your county.
However, these records only capture a fraction of the true numbers and it is estimated that there could be as many as 5,000 primates in the country.
Even though there are no pet chimpanzees in the UK, even the smaller primates more commonly found in Britain can be dangerous.
Monkeys are known to attack their owners with little warning and these risks are heightened by the psychological impacts of being reared in captivity.
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Chris Lewis, researcher and policy manager for animal campaign group Born Free, told MailOnline: ‘Primates are wild animals and can become aggressive and dangerous once they reach maturity, especially if they have been hand-reared.
‘Additionally, greater contact between humans and wildlife increases the likelihood of zoonotic pathogen transmission in both directions, with both humans and primates particularly at risk from herpesviruses and the monkeypox virus.’
Out of all the counties in the UK, Buckinghamshire is the area with the highest number of pet primates – with 31 being kept privately.
Despite having a population of less than half a million people, this small, rural county is home to 10 capuchins and 21 lemurs.
In Chimp Crazy, the director of Tiger King follows Tonia Haddix (pictured) as she goes to extreme lengths to evade authorities and animal rights groups while keeping a monkey hidden in her basement
In the UK, data reveals that licences have been issued for over 250 dangerous primates including one Hamadryas baboon (pictured) in Berkshire
Buckinghamshire is closely followed by Cornwall and Berkshire, each of which has 30 primates.
However, while the primates in Cornwall are all lemurs, Berkshire is home to a far more varied mix of animals.
Private owners in Berkshire currently keep four capuchin monkeys, including the critically endangered Margarita Island Capuchin, 15 macaques, and one grivet monkey.
The data reveals that the local council has issued a permit to own a Hamadryas baboon.
Although these are among the smallest of the baboon species, adult Hamadryas baboons can weigh 20kg and grow sharp, two-inch-long canines.
In areas where these baboons are native, there have been a number of reported attacks including a case in Saudi Arabia in which a man was severely injured by baboons while in his garden.
Luckily, in this case, the baboon is being housed at Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary, which is certified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
However, Mr Lewis points out that the fact that this license was issued highlights a bigger issue.
Local councils issued 2,700 licences to own dangerous wild animals in 2023, almost 10 per cent of these were to own primates such as lemurs
Private owners in the UK keep several critically endangered species of primate such as the red ruffed lemur. Pictured: a red ruffed lemur at Blair Drummond Safari Park, Scotland
‘The DWAA (Dangerous Wild Animals Act) does still make it legal for the general public to own baboons, which poses a significant risk to any potential owner and the wider public,’ says Mr Lewis.
‘Under zoo legislation, baboons are considered “Category One” meaning they are likely to cause serious injury or be a serious threat to life, on the basis of hazard and risk of injury, toxin or disease.’
The data also reveals that a number of endangered species are being held in the UK by private owners who may not be able to care for their needs.
These include collared brown lemurs in Wiltshire, mongoose lemurs in Hertfordshire, and spider monkeys in Lincolnshire – all of which are considered endangered or critically endangered.
While some of the primates may be being housed in legitimate sanctuaries with the means to care for them, this is not always the case.
Due to primates’ intelligence, they are ill-suited to captivity and require extensive specialist care.
Experts warn that primates in captivity often receive extremely neglectful care. Last year the RCPCA reported rescuing a marmoset (pictured) which was found with a severe metabolic bone disease
Radiographs of the monkey showed it had developed a bone disease which occurs when the animal becomes deficient in calcium or vitamin D3, the RCPCA says that primates are not suited to captivity and frequently develop health conditions when kept in private homes
Since March, owning a primate in the UK has been rendered all but illegal after new laws stipulated the animals must be kept in ‘zoo-level standards’ – in effect banning them from private homes.
However, the new laws don’t come into effect until April 2026 so there are still hundreds of potentially dangerous primates living as ‘pets’ across the country.
An RSPCA spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘These animals are intelligent, sentient and highly social – with complex needs that simply cannot be met in a domestic environment.’
‘Our inspectors and rescuers regularly see primates that have been kept as pets with behaviour problems and very poor health, especially Metabolic Bone Disease (rickets in humans), as a result of totally inappropriate care.’
The spokesperson adds that their inspectors have encountered primates ‘cooped up in bird cages, fed fast food, sugary drinks or even Class A drugs, deprived of companions of their own kind, living in dirt and squalor and suffering from disease.’
