(CNN) — A London bus driver discovered a caged monkey hidden in a laundry bag onboard his vehicle last week.
The marmoset is thought to have been dumped by its owner, prompting animal welfare officers to warn of further abandonments as a result of a recent change in the law surrounding the keeping of primates in England.
The driver of the number 302 bus, who has not been identified, found the terrified animal towards the end of the route from Mill Hill Broadway to Kensal Rise in north-west London, on Friday morning.
A mother had been trying to disembark with her child in a stroller but had been unable to pass as a large laundry bag was blocking the way, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).
The charity’s chief inspector for London, Clare Dew, who is now investigating the case, said in a press release sent to CNN: “The driver came to help her and, as he pushed the bag out of the way, the monkey inside started chirping and jumping around. When he peered inside the bag he spotted the frightened marmoset.”
The monkey, which has since been nicknamed Oyster after the London travel card, was taken back to the bus depot in the nearby suburb of Willesden, where staff subsequently contacted the RSPCA.
“The monkey – a female common marmoset – was inside a small, white, metal bird cage which had been wrapped inside a plastic, chequered laundry bag, with handles, so was well concealed. She’d been left with some apple but was, understandably, very stressed and dehydrated,” said Dew.
“No one noticed anything unusual on the bus before the monkey was discovered but we’ll be looking at CCTV and the logs for scanning on and off the bus to see if we can locate the person who left her onboard. It was clearly intentional.”
Oyster was checked by a specialist vet who deemed her as healthy and has since been settling into a sanctuary with specialist facilities for primates. “In a twist of fate, a sanctuary had been working with us to find a suitable female marmoset to introduce to a lone male they were caring for,” said Dew.
“She’s settled in really well over the weekend, and is eating well, so hopefully she’ll be able to meet her new friend soon. If she isn’t claimed then she’ll remain there with experienced keepers, a wonderful enclosure and company.”
Dew and her team believe Oyster’s abandonment is likely to be the “first of many,” following legislation which came into effect in April. The new rules mean all primates in England must now be licensed to ensure they are kept in conditions which meet “zoo-level standards”, effectively amounting to a ban on keeping primates as pets, the government said after the law was passed.
An estimated 5,000 primates are currently kept as pets in the UK, according to authorities. The RSPCA said that there has been little “uptake” of the new licenses, raising concerns that many owners will instead either keep the animals in illegal conditions or abandon them.
“I’d be surprised if it’s the last primate we see being dumped,” said Dew, urging owners who might be struggling to care for their animals to reach out to vets or charities like the RSPCA.
According to Evie Button, the RSPCA’s exotic animals expert, primates are “highly intelligent and social wild animals” which need “a lot of space, mental stimulation and appropriate companions.”
She added: “Ultimately we believe primates should not be kept as pets. We want to see a future where monkeys are no longer kept in homes, but protected in environments that truly meet their needs.”
The-CNN-Wire
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