Punch the Monkey Inspires Question: Can You Own an Emotional Support Monkey in MN?

In case you haven't met Punch the monkey yet, here's your introduction. Punch has gone viral because the poor little guy was abandoned by his mom. The zoo that he calls home, the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, is raising him with the help of a stuffed orangutan.

It's just so dang cute watching Punch (who is a macaque monkey, to be specific) run around dragging his emotional support orangutan behind him! (I'll link to a video of Punch a little further down.)

The sudden interest in Punch and his emotional support orangutan made me wonder: Can we own an emotional support monkey in Minnesota?

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Can You Have an Emotional Support Monkey in Minnesota?

First, I just wanted to see if you can own a monkey as a pet in Minnesota.

Minnesota law says it's illegal to own any regulated animals. One of the many regulated animals they define is monkeys:

"all nonhuman primates, including, but not limited to, lemurs, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, marmosets, lorises, and tamarins."

So there goes that. But I know sometimes having an animal as an emotional support animal can maybe offer some flexibility.

However, the answer is still no, even as an emotional support animal; monkeys are not allowed, according to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, because, as we talked about above, they are regulated animals.

I guess if you need an emotional support monkey, you'll just have to get a stuffed one like Punch.