Peter will be part of the delegation delivering a petition to Downing St, in London, today, calling for the UK Government to ensure that monkeys kept as pets are guaranteed a standard of care that meets their physical and psychological needs.
The 110,764 members of the British public that signed the petition want the Government to ensure that monkeys that are in pet shops or private homes as cared for properly. The petition demands that the Government act now, following years of debate and Select Committee reviews of the current problem with the British pet monkey trade.
Dr Alison Cronin, Director of Monkey World, says, “We are doing as much as we can to rescue as many British pet trade monkeys as possible but even after building two different facilities to home more than 50 “pet” monkeys, including marmosets, tamarins, capuchin monkeys, spider monkeys, a saki monkey, and a lemur, we are full and now have a waiting list of monkeys that need our specialist care. And while the situation the monkeys are in is terrible, there is also a very tragic human side to this story as many well meaning, but ignorant, people are buying these wild animals, at vast expense, from unscrupulous breeders, animal dealers, and pet shops that are taking advantage and telling people it is ok to keep a monkey in solitary confinement, in a bird cage, in their sitting room. It is tragic and out of control.”
For more information on Monkey World – Ape Rescue Centre, please visit www.monkeyworld.org.