Lady Freethinker delivered 32,855 signatures to the United Kingdom’s Lord Goldsmith and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), demanding an end to the horrific abuse suffered by wild primates kept as pets.
Fareeha Abid from DEFRA responded via email on April 9, stating that the agency is actively developing a policy approach to ban this practice. “Primates have complex welfare needs which cannot be met in a home environment,” she said.
DEFRA recently conducted a public consultation on proposals to address this issue, which concluded in February and received about 4,500 responses. Further announcements from the government are anticipated.
We will continue to monitor this issue in the United Kingdom and will update you when the ban is enacted and enforced. Thank you to all who signed our petition in support of allowing primates to live peacefully in the wild environments they need and deserve.
Ripped from their mothers as babies, crammed into tiny wire bird cages, fed sugar that rots their teeth, and forced to spend their entire lives in solitary confinement, wild monkeys kept as pets in the United Kingdom are suffering in silence.
The country’s animal welfare laws provide few protections for these primates, which include marmosets, lemurs, capuchins, and squirrel monkeys. Wild monkeys can be purchased online, from breeders, or in pet stores without any background inspections, with estimates suggesting that at least 5,000 wild monkeys are currently suffering in captivity.
These highly-social, intelligent animals, who need large amounts of space to run and play, often end up in homes with inadequate housing and incorrect care instructions. This sets the stage for the lifelong anguish they will endure.
Monkeys rescued from captivity often exhibit severe stress and trauma, displaying behaviors such as pacing, self-biting, teeth grinding, and repetitive hugging and rocking themselves for comfort.
However, there is new hope. The UK government is considering a ban on private ownership of primates, a crucial move to stop the brutal practice of keeping monkeys in captivity for human pleasure.
The proposed legislation would restrict guardianship of monkeys to those with an official zoo license or a specialist private primate keeper license to ensure proper welfare standards. Violations could result in civil and criminal penalties.
At least 15 European countries have already banned private ownership of primates. A 2014 YouGov survey showed that 75% of polled Brits supported a ban, as does the British Veterinary Association.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith, the UK’s Minister for Animal Welfare, has noted that keeping these socially complex animals in solitary confinement makes their lives a “misery.”
Sign this petition urging the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs and the UK’s legislative leaders to propose and pass this crucial legislation banning private ownership of primates. Help stop the silent suffering of these intelligent and social animals.
