A NEW WORLD FOR MONKEYS

Marmosets are the most sold primates in the UK and new legislations aiming to regulate sales and protect these complex animals are imminent.

Despite a rich tapestry of legislations and permits to protect a vast number of exotic species, some of the most complex animals on our planet can be freely traded without restriction. Primates have been subject to much abuse as a result of their fascinating behaviours and a new law, currently in public consultation aims to stop that. Exotics Keeper Magazine caught up with Monkey World to discuss the trade of marmosets in the private sector.

Marmosets in the UK

Marmosets are some of the most well-known and appealing of the primates. Their tiny size and human-like mannerisms promote the idea that they are a manageable pet. Unfortunately, current government restrictions support this warped idea as Charlie Crowther at Monkey World explains: “Of all the primate species, 85 of these can be sold as easily as a goldfish. There are no legislations, restrictions or licensing on these species. They are often sold by unscrupulous breeders to well-meaning public who believe that because they do not require a license, they are easy to keep.”

Unfortunately, without legal restrictions necessitating specialist care, the well-meaning public can often be misled into believing they are buying a suitable pet. With much of the trading taking place on social media platforms, unreliable information is presented side by side with the opportunity to own an animal which the buyer has a fascination for. Charlie continued: “Many of the common marmosets sold in the UK are sold as ‘tame’ or ‘hand reared’. In reality, they’re just young and dependable. At around 9 months to 1 year they reach sexual maturity and become socially aggressive, bonding to just one individual or animal in the house and being extremely confrontational to anyone else. It is usually at this stage when they are put into parrot cages, or in the case of one of our rescue marmosets, a hamster cage.”

“Primates are very socially complex. Marmosets for only briefly cover exotic animals and this time is largely spent on reptiles. This explains why every single one of the 75 marmosets we have received from the UK pet trade has had a psychological or physiological illness. Without the correct space and diet marmosets can suffer from rickets, broken and fused bones, kidney failure and lots of other horrible conditions.”

The marmoset market

Although marmosets are rarely seen on public display in pet shops, Charlie informed us that the market is huge. She continued: “Common marmosets have a captive market. Females will almost always have twins, which the father then carries around. With two babies, every five months, reaching upwards of £1000, it is easy to see why breeders are motivated to breed these animals.”

As a rescue centre, Monkey World takes in many primates from across different species as a result of breeding for commercial gain. Many of the chimps in Monkey World’s care were originally Spanish beach chimps, used as photo opportunities for tourists in the early years. National reform and legal restrictions were necessary to change this attitude towards the commodification of primates. The idea that primates are ‘just like us’ can actually generate extremely harmful ideas around the way we treat them.

Charlie continued: “People are fascinated by primates. They want to have them, own them and be close to them. Breeders will often tell buyers that they are just like us, to the extent that strange rumours circulate about marmosets feeding on human scraps and marshmallows, which makes no sense. However, in some ways they are just like us. If lockdown has proven anything it’s that we need social interactions and we need space and these specialist needs are rarely met for marmosets in the private sector.”

Mini Monkeys

The Callitrichidae family is made up of the tiny marmosets, tamarins and lion tamarins of Central and South America. There are around 42 species and subspecies in this family, all of which are arboreal and feed mostly on gums, saps, insects and occasionally small vertebrates. A handful of these species face immediate threat of extinction, being labelled endangered or critically endangered.

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) can be found across Eastern Brazil. These primates rarely exceed 19cm in body length and exhibit white tufts of fur on the side of their heads, which coins their other common name; cotton-eared marmosets.

Unlike other species, the common marmoset is extremely adaptable and thrives in dry savannah forests as well as riverine and semi-deciduous forests. In fact, their adaptability means they are a frequent sight on the city edges of Rio de Janeiro.

A new world

After decades of campaigning to see legal implications to the private ownership of primates, Monkey World is on the cusp of seeing a major breakthrough. A new legal reform, which would ban the sale and keeping of primates as pets, except for those who could apply for a ‘specialist primate keeper license’ has reached its final stages of being passed. The law seeks to protect primates from keepers who cannot meet their very complex needs. Charlie concluded: “The new legislation is a major success and is the furthest we have managed to push for primate welfare after years of trying. It is also the first time all three major parties have proposed restrictions on captive primates in their manifestos. We have long held the belief that private keepers of primates should be held to the same level of standards as zoos. This means indoor and outdoor enclosures that are regularly assessed, specialist veterinarian care available when needed and a rigorous hygiene procedure. If someone has all of the time and money in the world, who are we to say they cannot keep marmosets, but currently the law doesn’t reflect that standard.”

“The public consultation that is currently underway proposes a ‘specialist primate keeper license’. The selling and trade of primates will be banned entirely and hopefully this should stem the numbers seen in captivity. Existing keepers will also have a year to register their animals for a license, which should drive up the standards of welfare for any keepers that are cutting corners.”