- A new report by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and World Wildlife Fund found more than 1,600 live primates listed for sale on U.S. social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube over a six-week period in mid-2025.
- Sellers circumvented platform bans by disguising commercial transactions as “rehoming” or “adoption” efforts, with prices for the 12 documented species, including macaques and marmosets, ranging from $250 to $6,500.
- Many advertised primates were infants, who are often stolen from their mothers in the wild, leading to severe trauma or death during smuggling and contributing to the 60 percent of primate species globally threatened with extinction.
- While TikTok and Google (YouTube) said they prohibit wildlife trafficking and have taken action, experts warn that this accessible online market fuels animal cruelty, biodiversity loss, zoonotic diseases, and other illicit crimes, ranking wildlife trafficking among the top black markets.
- The report recommends passing the federal Captive Primate Safety Act, urging social media companies to expand prohibited content policies and improve detection and reporting tools, and calling for increased funding and specialized personnel for state and federal enforcement agencies to combat this digital trade.
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