A common marmoset monkey was rescued from a house in Greenwich following a report from a concerned citizen, writes Jessica Farmer…
The monkey was found living in a bird cage and being kept without a licence after a joint investigation by officers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the City of London Corporation.
The investigation also revealed the monkey was kept is solitude and was not being fed an appropriate diet.
Officers from the council, the City Corporation’s licencing and animal welfare teams, the RSPCA and the Metropolitan Police carried out another visit.
During this visit, the unlicenced owner voluntarily gave up the primate, and it has since been transferred to a specialist unit.
Here the monkey will receive veterinary treatment and will then be rehomed in a wildlife park to live with other marmosets, which is essential for primates to live a happy life.
The owner received a warning, although failing to hold the necessary licence or treating primates poorly can result in a criminal offence.
According to the RSPCA, marmosets are the most commonly kept and traded species in the UK.
The RSPCA cites several reasons why marmosets do not make suitable pets, including the difficulty of providing the complex environment marmosets need. As highly social animals, marmosets can suffer when kept alone and require a constantly warm and stimulating environment. They can also become aggressive as they mature.
Anyone who owns an exotic animal must comply with the Animal Welfare Regulations 2024 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The Royal Borough of Greenwich encourages anyone who knows or suspects that a primate is being kept without a licence to contact them at li*******@****************ov.uk.
