3 min read
HBO’s House of the Dragon may transport viewers to a world of fantasy and medieval customs, but the use of a macaque monkey as a set decoration in the poorly received season two finale is a regrettable reminder of an outdated era. PETA rushed off a letter to HBO’s chair and CEO and the show’s producers urging them to recut the episode to remove the primate from the scene and to enact a wild-animal ban ahead of future productions.
The exploitation of a monkey in an HBO show is a huge disappointment to the animal rights movement and primatologists. These experts are working to help the public understand the similarities between these animals and humans, as well as their capacity to suffer—a topic explored in depth in HBO’s own “Chimp Crazy.”
The Dance of the HBO Shows: Chimp Crazy Teaser Airs Ahead of House of the Dragon Finale
House of the Dragon’s exploitative monkey scene in the finale was viewable just six minutes after HBO aired a teaser for Chimp Crazy, an upcoming docuseries that examines a PETA lawsuit over the exploitation and abuse of chimpanzees for entertainment and in the pet trade.
Thanks to PETA and other animal rights advocates, there are no more chimpanzees being used in Hollywood. Great strides have also been made to end the exploitation of all primates in the entertainment industry, but the use of a monkey in shows like House of the Dragon harm that progress and cause immense suffering to the animals shown on screen.
HBO can lead the way by immediately enacting a ban on the use of primates and other wild animals, ensuring that none of these animals will ever be made to suffer again for its productions.
What Happens to Animals Used for TV and Film?
A PETA undercover investigation into Atlanta Film Animals—a business that trains and provides animals for the film, television, and advertising industries—revealed that behind the scenes, workers denied cats and other animals food using antiquated training methods, deprived elderly pigs of veterinary care, kept monkeys in waste-strewn enclosures, and warehoused dogs in cold, barren kennels.
The lives of monkeys exploited for TV are similarly tragic. Many of them suffer from debilitating loneliness and depression, as their complex physical and psychological needs can’t be met at training compounds or on television sets. Most are taken away from their mothers as infants—a practice that denies them the maternal care and nurturing that they need for normal development. In nature, macaques explore and forage in the tropical rainforests or temperate mountain ranges of Asia in large family groups. Denying these primates everything that’s natural and important to them and forcing them into close proximity to humans—a species they naturally avoid––causes them constant stress.
It’s no wonder that on the set of House of the Dragon, the monkey’s handler reportedly told actor Jefferson Hall, “If you look her in the eye, she’ll bite you in the face.”
Macaques can be unpredictable, and it’s within monkeys’ nature to solve problems with aggression, so they can and will attack and even bite humans. Their teeth are sharp, their jaws are strong, and their bites are often severe. Macaques commonly carry the herpes B virus, which can be deadly to humans, so keeping them in the vicinity of humans risks public health.
Forget Team Green and Black—Join Team Animal Rights!
If you want to help monkeys like the one used in the House of the Dragon finale, comment on HBO’s social media pages with messages urging it to cut the monkey business and help pave the way for change by enacting a ban on the use of primates and other wild animals. You should also set a reminder to watch Chimp Crazy when it premieres on August 18 to learn more about what happens to primates behind the scenes in the entertainment and pet industries.