Primates as Pets Petition

For many years Monkey World has been rescuing monkeys from the LEGAL pet trade in Britain.  These unfortunate monkeys have come to us often in terrible physical and mental condition having been kept in tiny, indoor cages, in solitary confinement.  Some of the worst conditions we have ever rescued primates from have been in the UK.  This trade is legal, however, and as long as the monkeys are born in captivity breeders are able to sell the offspring at high prices asking up to £1300 for a marmoset, £2700 for a squirrel monkey and up to £4000 for a capuchin monkey.

Sadly there is little in the way of legislation protecting the welfare of these wild animals.  Breeders often sell monkeys, telling unknowing buyers that the animals do not have any special needs and that they will only live for a couple of years.  Both statements are untrue, but without any legal standards of care the monkeys are left to suffer in terrible conditions.  You may remember Betty-Boo, the marmoset who lived in a birdcage for years in a Southampton sitting room, and Gismo the capuchin that lived in an Ipswich garden shed and due to poor conditions amputated part of his own tail.  More recently we have rescued Samantha and Fidget the squirrel monkeys from a caravan and a garden centre, while Uncas and Alice the cotton-top tamarins were bounced from owner to owner in a birdcage.  These monkeys were all LEGALLY approved pet monkeys in the UK.

Marmoset Betty Boo being kept as a pet	Sinbad the capuchin at a pet shop	Capuchin Terri at previous home
Pepe the capuchin was kept as a pet	Samantha the squirrel monkey, prior to confiscation	Uncas and Alice the cotton-top tamarins, prior to confiscation

We have done it before in 2005, and we are asking all our visitors and supporters again, to sign a petition telling the government that this is a terrible trade, causing suffering to hundreds of captive monkeys, and that you do not support the current legislation. 

In 2005, Jim and Alison took their pet trade petition to Biodiversity Minister, Jim Knight at Westminster

The petition states:

I would like to state my opposition to the LEGAL trade in primate as pets in Great Britain today. We believe that is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that any captive monkeys receive a standard of care that meets their behavioural and physical needs regardless of whether they are kept in private homes or pet shops. We are asking the British Government to issue guidance to local authorities, responsible for granting licences for these exotic pets, to use the same standard of duty of care as they would for primates kept in zoo or wildlife parks (the Zoo Licensing Act 1981). If a monkey is deserving of a certain standard of care in a zoo or wildlife park, by definition it is deserving of the same standard of care in a private home or pet shop. We would like our concerns addressed by the Goverment and Select Committee immediately.

Please help by signing our petition at the park in our Adoption/Information Centre and getting in touch if you are able to help with collecting more signatures.  Please download a copy of the petition by clicking here and, once signed, post back to us at:
Monkey World - Ape Rescue Centre,
Longthorns,
Wareham,
Dorset BH20 6HH. 

Or contact admin@monkeyworld.org for details.

We are hopeful that your opinions will matter and changes will be made to the laws that govern the keeping of primates as pets in Britain.  We will keep you posted!