My Child is a Monkey

Domesticating primates has been a hot topic, especially since Sandra Herold's 200-pound pet chimpanzee savagely attacked her friend, making national headlines. Now, as primate ownership continues to rise in the U.S., National Geographic investigates the "monkid" phenomenon -- adopting monkeys as surrogate babies. Meet families who raise monkeys as if they were their very own children and experts who weigh in on the controversy. Follow Justine as she adopts an infant monkey she purchased over the Internet. From feeding to diaper changing, in many ways bringing her monkey home is the same as bringing a newborn human home from the hospital. Then there?s Audrey, who unknowingly spoiled her "monkids" to death by overfeeding them with human foods such as tortilla chips and pasta. Sean and his wife are expecting a baby -- but their 8-year-old monkey has become increasingly hostile. They hire the "monkey whisperer" to train the misbehaving animal.

• documentary
• nonfiction