Campaign to end the 'cruel practice of primates as pets

A 55,000-strong petition to ban the sale of primates as pets has been handed to the Government this week. The petition, which was organised by a coalition of veterinary and animal welfare organisations, including the BVA, RSPCA, Captive Animals Protection Society, Four Paws and Wild Futures, was spearheaded by MPs Sheryll Murray and Sue Hayman and was handed in at the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday. A copy was also handed into Defra. An estimated 5000 primates are being kept as pets in the UK and rescue groups such as the RSPCA and Wild Futures report that they receive approximately one call a week relating to the welfare of monkies. According to RSPCA data, the most commonly kept primate pets are marmosets, followed by capuchins and squirrel monkeys. Keeping primates as pets also seems to be on the rise. Anecdotally, online sales are increasing and the number of primates...
Source: Veterinary Record - Category: Veterinary Research Tags: News section Source Type: research