Animal welfare experts have revealed a number of ‘alarming’ cases of monkeys being kept as pets in Nottinghamshire.
The RSPCA says the total amount of reports in the UK of primates being kept unlawfully as has tripled in four years.
And the society has been contacted seven times since 2011 by people worried about the welfare of monkeys they have seen being kept as pets in Notts.
Officers say these cases are likely to be the tip of the iceberg as some dangerous species are kept in secret.
These require a dangerous wild animal licence – but the charity estimates around nine out of ten owners are not registering.
And the most popular ‘pet’ species – such as marmosets and tamarins – are completely free of restrictions.
RSPCA senior scientific officer Dr Ros Clubb said: “The number of primates that are out there is increasing at an alarming level.
“Sadly our inspectors have seen situations where monkeys have been cooped up in bird cages, fed fast food and sugary drinks, deprived of friends of their own kind, living in dirt squalor and suffering from disease.
“We fear there are hundreds more that are suffering behind closed doors because people do not know how to look after these animals properly.”
Their level of suffering is extreme
Capuchins and squirrel monkeys are also often kept as pets and groups incluidng the RSPCA and Wild Futures receive around one call every three days relating to the welfare of a monkey.
With dozens of calls over the last five years Greater Manchester has been named as the country’s hotspot for calls about primate welfare concerns, swiftly followed by Greater London.
Dr Clubb added: “The trend for keeping primates is on the up – but because of the specific needs of these animals their level of suffering is extreme.
“As well as dietary and environmental needs, primates are highly social animals and they have extremely complex behavioural and social needs – but sadly in many cases they are being kept as lone primates.”
The RSCPA is leading a campaign to make it illegal to keep a primate as a pet in the UK, and is asking people to sign a petition calling for new regulations.
The society says as many as 5,000 monkeys could be being kept as pets across the UK.
