Animal health and welfare groups call for ban on keeping primates as pets.

Animal health and welfare groups have welcomed comments by Defra Minister George Eustice MP who said he is open to looking at banning the keeping of primates as pets in England.

Mr Eustice MP made his comments yesterday (09.12.15) in a Westminster Hall debate on the welfare of exotic animals. He claimed that in Defra’s view the keeping of a primate in a domestic setting was already a clear breach of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and he was open to looking further into the introduction of other measures to ensure welfare needs were met, such as a ban and a licensing system with a sunset clause for those currently keeping primates as pets.

The Born Free Foundation, British Veterinary Association (BVA), Captive Animals’ Protection Society, Four Paws, OneKind, the RSPCA and Wild Futures joined forces earlier this year to call on the governments in the UK to introduce regulations that will end the keeping and trading of these complex creatures as pets. Despite the view by Defra that keeping primates in a domestic setting was an offence under the Animal Welfare Act, an estimated 5000 primates, such as marmosets and squirrel monkeys are being kept as pets in the UK. Therefore a full ban would be welcomed to help bring about and end to primates suffering due to being kept in such an unsuitable, unnatural environment.

David Bowles, the RSPCA’s assistant director of public affairs, said: “Groups like the RSPCA and Wild Futures get approximately a call every week from someone concerned about the welfare of a monkey being kept as a pet. RSPCA Inspectors find them living in bird cages, being fed sugary drinks and sweets and living in filthy conditions. Even when the owner has good intentions the animals’ needs are not being met because primates are so difficult to keep and it is extremely complicated to ensure their welfare needs are being met.

“It is heartening to hear the Minister says he was willing to at least consider a ban, which is what organisations including ourselves want to see.

“We will be working with Defra in the New Year as part of a tightening of licensing regulations, and we hope our discussions with them on this matter will give further evidence to support the call for a complete ban on primates being kept as pets.”

Director at Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary Rachel Hevesi said: “We witness the effects of this cruel and unnecessary trade on a daily basis. Every primate that we have rescued has arrived with physical and/or psychological damage.

“It can take years of intensive care for them to recover. It is inspiring to see such positive changes, but heartbreaking to see the struggle along the way.”

15 European countries have already introduced a ban on keeping primates as pets, of either all or some species. We now need the governments in the UK to follow. To sign the petition to #ProtectPrimates visit www.protectprimates.org.

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Notes to editors:

The keeping and trade of primates as pets is a devolved issue. The Northern Ireland Executive, Scottish Government, Westminster Government and Welsh Government are responsible for the relevant legislation in their respective countries.

The full transcript of the Westminster Debate can be read here: http://bit.ly/1IUOo5G

*Data obtained by Wild Futures through Freedom of Information requests to local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland show that 269 primates were licensed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWAA) in 2013. This figure was used to calculate the present estimate of around 5000 by: a) accounting for 85-95 percent non-compliance with the DWAA, thus the 269 represented 5-15 percent of the actual number kept and b) b) including species de-listed from the DWAA in 2007, based on previously collected data. Note that this does not include species like marmosets which have never required a licence.

*Use of the word primates relates to non-human primates

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