The hunting and trade of primates for bushmeat causes immense suffering to individual animals and threatens the survival of vulnerable and endangered species across Africa and Asia.
The suffering involved in primate bushmeat hunting is severe and multifaceted. Animals caught in wire snares endure prolonged pain and fear before death or rescue. Primates hunted in groups witness the death of family members before being killed themselves. Infant survivors face acute grief-like responses and the severe deprivation of primate social and developmental needs in captivity. The scale of primate hunting across Central and West Africa and parts of Southeast Asia involves suffering at a scale that is difficult to comprehend. Enforcement of hunting bans, alternative livelihood development for hunting communities, and reduction of urban commercial demand are all necessary components of a welfare and conservation response.