JEFFERSON CITY — To help ensure exotic animals, the Missourians who own them, and the communities in which these animals and their owners reside remain safe, Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, will sponsor legislation for the 2013 legislative session to create the Nonhuman Primate Act and address the possession of exotic animals in the state. Senator Keaveny has fought for this issue in past legislative sessions, collaborating with the Saint Louis Zoo.

“We have seen a growing problem with exotic animals escaping from their owners; considering the public danger that occurs when these animals escape, authorities sometimes have no choice but to confront the animal with lethal means,” Sen. Keaveny said. “My bill is designed to protect the well-being of animals and Missourians alike.”

The Nonhuman Primate Act is specific to large Great Apes, orangutans, baboons, and chimpanzees. The act requires Missourians, beginning on Sept. 1, 2014, to register their animal with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and obtain a permit; current law only requires owners to register their primate with the local sheriff. Permit applicants must be at least 21 years old and cannot have violated a state or local animal welfare law, nor pled to or been found guilty of a felony within the last 10 years. To obtain a permit, a person would need to provide information regarding his or her liability insurance coverage for the animal; a recapture plan, should the animal escape; and the animal’s veterinary care.

Senator Keaveny notes that Missouri, specifically, has experienced instances when an exotic animal escaped from its owner. In 2007, the Columbia Missourian reported that a primate got loose in Columbia, Mo., and bit a 7-year-old boy at Stephens Lake Park. It was also reported by CBS News that a 300-pound chimpanzee escaped its confines and entered a Kansas City, Mo., neighborhood in 2010.

“According to the U.S. Humane Society, roughly half of the states already prohibit private possession of primates as pets; however, I don’t want to ban responsible Missourians from owning these exotic animals,” Sen. Keaveny said. “At the same time, we need clear policy in place to keep individuals and animals safe, and to prevent animals from causing havoc to the public, should it escape.”

To follow the progress of Sen. Keaveny’s legislation, please visit his Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny.