News

No monkeying around when it comes to pets

Posted February 17, 2009 10:00 pm

Hope Babowice

"Do monkeys make good pets?" asked Makayla Solorzano, 6, a first-grader at MacArthur School in Hoffman Estates.

Dogs and cats make good pets. Monkeys don't, according to Craig Demitros, curator of primates the Brookfield Zoo.

"For a variety of reasons, it's not a good idea at all," Demitros said.

People often think the baby monkeys they may see on TV or at a circus are tame and eager to please. They look like an easy pet to own, kind of like a cat or a dog.

"The image of the chimp on TV is not a reality. The babies grow up to be big and powerful and sometimes aggressive animals - 180 pounds and stronger than a man. They're a handful," Demitros said.

Monkeys of all types are wild animals.

Many species of monkeys are endangered.

"If they aren't bred in captivity, the infants are taken from mothers that are often killed illegally," Demitros said.

Some states have laws that forbid monkey ownership and others require that owners purchase permits.

Overall, when families decide to take in a pet, it's best to select one that will be easy to care for and fits best with your family's lifestyle. A veterinarian can help in the decision making process.

"There are lots of dogs and cats looking for homes," Demitros said.

You can still help a monkey - either at the zoo or in the wild. Brookfield Zoo's "Share the Care" allows you to sponsor an animal of your choice, like the zoo's three-month-old baby orangutan. For $35 or more, you receive a photo of the animal and updates throughout the year.

Want to help chimps in the wild? Jane Goodall, the world famous primatologist, established the Jane Goodall Institute to help preserve the chimpanzee population in Africa. Learn about chimps, the organization's chimp rescue program and conservation efforts on the Jane Goodall Institute Web site at janegoodall.org.

This is Ashley, another dog that makes her home at Brookfield Zoo's Children's Zoo. You can visit and pet her and other animals there, and you can even "adopt" zoo animals through "Share the Care" program. Courtesy of Brookfield Zoo

The Schaumburg Township Library District suggests these titles on monkeys: • "A Monkey Baby Grows Up," by Joan Hewett • "I like Monkeys Because," by Peter Hansard • "Helping Hands: How Monkeys Assist People Who Are Disabled," by Suzanne Haldane • "A Pet or Not?," by Alvin Silverstein • "Meet the Monkeys," by Martha Dickson Allen Send in your question What questions do you have? Send them to Kids Ink, and you might see it right here. Want to know about people, places or things? Or maybe why things happen? The student whose question is answered each week will receive a 1-gigabyte USB flash drive. You can write to <a href="mailto:kidsink@dailyherald.com">kidsink@dailyherald.com</a>. Include your name, age, hometown, grade and school. Teachers can download Kids Ink question forms at our <a href="http://nie.dailyherald.com/kidsink.asp">Newspaper in Education Web</a> site.

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