A female marmoset monkey has been rescued after being found abandoned in a cage on a London bus. The primate was left inside a laundry bag in the luggage bay of a 302 bus in north-west London.
Discovery on the bus
The monkey was discovered at Kensal Rise when the bus driver moved the bag to make space and heard the animal jumping and chirping inside. The driver took the primate to the Metroline depot in Willesden and contacted the RSPCA, who have since taken it into care.
The monkey has been named Oyster, after the London travel card.
Possible link to new legislation
An RSPCA spokesperson said the abandonment may be due to new legislation introduced in April which requires all primates kept in England to be licensed. The charity supported the new rules but warned a lack of safeguards could see more animals dumped.
Oyster has since been given the all-clear by a vet and transferred to an animal sanctuary where she will be introduced to a male companion.
Witness account
Clare Dew, the RSPCA’s London Chief Inspector, said: “A mum got on the bus with her buggy but couldn’t get down the walkway because the laundry bag was sticking out of the luggage bay and blocking the way. 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.”
Expert concerns
RSPCA Exotic Animals Expert Evie Button said: “Primates are highly intelligent and social wild animals who need a lot of space, mental stimulation and appropriate companions - needs that can’t be met by human company alone. The introduction of primate licenses in England is an important step forward for animal welfare, helping to ensure these animals are kept in more appropriate conditions, but there is a real concern that keepers who cannot or do not want to license their pet may now instead abandon them. With the UK Government estimating 5,000 primates being kept as pets in England and our friends at Born Free reporting very little uptake of the new license system, we’re concerned about what has happened to many of these animals.”
