ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Monkeys may be cute, but do they make good pets? And is it legal to own a monkey in Illinois?

Monkeys generally don’t make very good pets, because they don’t take well to strangers and become destructive and mischievous if they grow bored.

The animals also require a lot of social interaction and need a secure enclosure.

Federal law does not regulate the ownership of primates, so laws are decided by each state.

Capuchin monkeys, otherwise known as the “organ grinder” monkey, live in South and Central America and are often found as one of the most common primates in the pet trade.

However, in Illinois, it is illegal for a private person to own, breed or sell a monkey. State law also bans the possession of “dangerous animals,” such as lions, bobcats, and poisonous snakes.

The exception to this is that Illinois allows the use of monkeys for therapy or helping people with severe or permanent motor disabilities.

In Indiana, however, residents are permitted to have apes, baboons, and monkeys, but a special exotic animal permit is required.