Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
While a good showing of support for those against the ban is greatly appreciated, remember that this is a Tennessee proposed legislation, and as such Tennessee residents make the most profound impact. "Outsiders" can be a blessing and a curse -- They are often resented for their "intrusion" into a matter that does not concern them. It is important that any and all Tennessee residents who own primates, and their supporters show up and speak up.
Notice of Rulemaking Hearing
For questions and copies of the notice, contact the person listed below.
Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission
Torrey S. Grimes, General Counsel Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
5107 Edmondson Pike Nashville, Tennessee 37211
Phone: 615.781.6657
Email: Torrey.Grimes@tn.gov
Hearing Location(s)
Region II Office, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
5105 Edmondson Pike City: Nashville, Tennessee 37211
In addition to the in-person public comment noted above, the Agency will accept public comment via electronic means from the date of filing of this Notice of Rulemaking Hearing until 6/22/2023 at 4:30 PM. Any electronic public comment must be emailed to
with the heading “Proposed Rule Comment – Rule 1660-01-18 Live Wildlife”.
Please remember, if you are speaking, sending in your viewpoint, while we all know this is most assuredly an emotional and upsetting piece of legislation, we will be much more likely to receive positive action when we keep it personal but not emotional, derisive or nasty.
Dear Sir/Ma’am
As your constituent, a dedicated advocate for ecological conservation, and pet owner, I implore you to stop the proposed changes to the classifications of wildlife as presented in the Notice of Rulemaking
Hearing dated 05-03-23 with regards to the addition of macaques.
The plan put forth to add macaques to the banned list is based on misconception and fear, not on fact.
If we were to base our daily decisions on the same premises, no one would ever be allowed to leave
their homes. I would like to share a few facts with you:
Class I animals, as currently defined in TC 70-4-403 are “all species inherently dangerous to humans.”
As we all know, any animal may be dangerous to humans, even the most cuddly animal you can think of. Keep in mind that, by far, the most dangerous of all are human (primates).
With regards to macaques, most people seem to be concerned with contracting Herpes-B or Monkey-B virus. This virus was first discovered in 1932. B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1, herpesviridae), an alpha herpes virus endemic in macaque monkeys, has the unique distinction of being the only one of nearly 35 identified non-human primate herpesviruses that is highly pathogenic in humans. 1 It is
estimated that upwards of 72% of macaques are infected with the Herpes-B virus Untreated B virus
infections in humans result in an extremely high mortality rate (∼80%).
So, some facts to put the Herpes-B virus and macaques into perspective:
According to the CDC, B virus infections in people are rare. There have only been 50 people with
documented infections in 90 years; 21 of those died. Again, there have only been 50 reported
cases of Herpes-B transmission in the United States since 1932. Most of these have occurred in
the laboratory setting. (A good Samaritan is more likely to be infected helping an injured person
than an individual be infected with Herpes-B from a macaque.)
In 28 zoonotic cases occurring during the 1980s and 1990s out of a total of 46 documented cases confirmed since 1933, 80% have survived infection with the advent of antiviral therapies in
contrast to 80% mortality reported in untreated patients. (1)
Timely antiviral intervention is an effective means of reducing B virus-associated morbidity and
preventing a fatal outcome. (1)
Only 50 infections in light of over 35,000 monkeys imported in 2022 for lab research and over
75,000 primates (estimated 2/3rds are macaques) used for research in 2017. (2)
Another usual concern is the potential for bites:
According to one study, there were 275 monkey (not just macaque) bites from 1990-2013.
That’s in perspective to over 4 million dog bites per year. (3)
According to WHO, 99% of rabies infections are due to dogs, worldwide. Due to the drive to vaccinate dogs, they are now the second greatest risk for rabies in the US following hematophagous bats.
According to a new study released in the latest issue of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine indicates that animal encounters remain a considerable cause of human harm and death. The animals most commonly responsible for human fatalities are farm animals, insects (hornets,
wasps, and bees), and dogs. (4)
Listed in the PETA database, there are 12 “incidents” involving monkeys in Tennessee. Of those
12, 5 involved a bite or scratch (one of which was a chimp, not a monkey). No long term effects
from the bites or scratches were noted.
2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook by the American Veterinary Medical
Association. The survey also reports that approximately 70 million dogs and 74 million cats lived
in households in the United States during the same year. (1) Human and animal bites are a
frequent cause of primary care and emergency department visits for children. It is estimated that 250,000 human bites, 400,000 cat bites, and 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States each year in both adults and children. (2) In the United States, approximately 10% of all human bites will become infected in a child with a bite wound. The infection rate of dog bites in
children is 20%. Cat bite infection rates in children vary but can be up to 50%. Each type of bite
wound has a predisposition for sex and/or age.
I urge you to keep these facts in mind when deciding whether or not to add macaques to the ban list,
and I implore you to not add them to the list. The rights of primate owners should not be restricted due
to fear, ‘what ifs’, or individuals who choose to not follow appropriate safety protocols.
1. Monkey B virus - Human Herpesviruses - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
2. COVID-19 Vaccine Research Is Facing a Monkey Shortage - The Atlantic
3. Injuries and deaths caused by non-human primate attacks: Paediatric vulnerability - Chittaranjan
Behera, Mohit Chauhan, Asit Sikary, Tabin Millo, Roger W Byard, 2021 (sagepub.com)
4. Number of people killed by animals each year in the US remains unchanged -- ScienceDaily
CONTACTS:
Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission
Thomas L. “Tommy” Woods, Chair
District 1: Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Greene, Grainger, Hamblen,
Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, Washington
P.O. Box 550
Piney Flats, TN 37680
423-946-0639
James W. “Jimmy” Granbery, Vice Chair
District 5: Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Davidson, Franklin,
Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, and Wilson
2022 Fransworth Drive
Nashville, TN 37205
615-252-8121
Chris Devaney, Secretary
District 4: (District 4) - Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton, Marion,
McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie.
206 Morrison Street
Lookout Mountain, TN 37350
615-483-6671
Kent Woods
District 2: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Cumberland, Knox, Loudon,
Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union
151 Kyker Ferry Road
Kodak, TN 37664
865-932-1101
Rhonda Wright Moody
District: 3: Macon, Trousdale, Smith, Dekalb, Warren, Grundy,
Van Buren, White, Putnam, Jackson, Clay, Pickett, Overton, Fentress
125 Nash Cemetery Road
Allardt, TN 38504
Cell: 931.267.7899
Stan Butt Sr.
District 6: Cheatham, Dickson, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys,
Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, Montgomery, Stewart, Wayne, and Williamson.
3870 Albert Matthews Road
Columbia, TN 38401
931-698-0243
Monte Belew
District 7: Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Perry
315 Elkhorn Road
Paris, TN 38242
731-336-5832
Brad Box
District 8: Lake, Dyer, Obion, Crockett, Gibson, Weakly, Madison, Chester
70 Ashport Road
Humboldt, TN 38343
Cell: 731-616-9228
David “Hank” Wright, DVM
District 9: Fayette, Hardeman, Haywood, Lauderdale,
McNairy, Shelby, and Tipton
2355 Duntreath Road
Germantown, TN 38139
901-853-7330
Bill Cox
District: Statewide
McGinnis Oil Company
98 Main Street
Collierville, TN 38017-2616
PH: 901-828-7500
J. Gregory Davenport
District: Statewide
9105 Crockett Road
Brentwood, TN 37027
Office: 615-883-3243
John “Chip” Saltsman
District: Statewide
P. O. Box 58804
Nashville TN 37205
(615) 500-2447
Wally Childress
District: Statewide
73 Doctor Strachn Lane
Bogota, TN 38007
731-676-9788
David W. Salyers, PE (Ex-Officio Member)
Dept. of Environment & Conservation
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave.
Nashville, TN 37243
Business: 615-532-0106
Fax: 615-532-0120
Charlie Hatcher, PVM (Ex-Officio Member)
TN Dept. of Agricultural
Ellington Agricultural Center
P.O. Box 40627
Nashville, TN 37204
Business: 615-837-5202
Fax: 615-837-5333
Governor Bill Lee (Ex-Officio Member)
State Capitol, 1st Floor
600 Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37243
Business: 615-741-2001
Caretakers of Primates aka COP's
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