A reward of up to £3,000 is on offer for information leading to an arrest and conviction following the abandonment of a monkey on a London bus. The female common marmoset was found on a 302 bus stationed in Kensal Rise, north-west London, last Friday.
A mother had been unable to manoeuvre her pram down the aisle of the bus due to a laundry bag protruding from the luggage bay. When the bus driver moved the bag aside, the monkey – now named Oyster – began 'chirping and jumping'. Oyster has since been examined by a vet and relocated to a sanctuary.
Peta offers reward
Animal welfare charity Peta is offering the reward in an attempt to track down the person who left her behind. Peta's vice-president of programmes, Elisa Allen, stated: 'We're calling on anyone with information about this case to come forward so that whoever abandoned Oyster can be held accountable before endangering anyone else.'
'Abandoning an animal is an extraordinary betrayal. This monkey deserved care and protection, not to be discarded like rubbish.'
RSPCA investigation
This incident is feared to be the 'first of many' abandonments following new legislation introduced in April requiring all primates kept in England to be licensed, according to the RSPCA.
Claire Dew, RSPCA London chief inspector, stated: '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.'
'We'd like to say a big thank you to the bus driver and the team at Metroline who stayed calm, took the monkey back to their station, put her somewhere dark and cool, to keep her calm, and contacted us for help.'
'They've been incredibly helpful and are now assisting with our enquiries so we can trace the person responsible for dumping her.'
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.
Oyster's new home
The marmoset was examined by a specialist exotics vet for a health check but, fortunately, was given a clean bill of health. She has since been lovingly dubbed 'Oyster', in tribute to her discovery on a London bus, and is adapting to a new home at a sanctuary with specialist facilities for primates. Shortly she will be introduced to a new male companion who had been seeking a friend.
Chief Inspector Dew added: '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. We were hoping to transfer one from the north of England but, when that fell through just a few hours before Oyster was rescued, it looked like destiny that Oyster was supposed to go there.'
'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.'
The RSPCA is currently conducting an investigation and is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed someone boarding the bus with the laundry bag to get in touch via their appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
