Monkeys Are Not Pets. Sign to Ban Private Monkey Sales Today.

  • by: Care2 Team
  • recipient: Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
In 2018, a London woman was taking a walk when she found something she couldn't quite recognize. When she took a closer look, she saw a small hairy, four-limbed creature with a long fluffy tail, but there was no head. The woman called the authorities who later identified the animal as a black tufted marmoset a small species of monkey native to Brazil.

How did a headless primate, native to South America, end up run over on the road in the middle of the United Kingdom? The answer might shock you.

According to Monkey World, a rescue center for primates, "in Britain today there are 85 species of primate that can be sold over the counter.." The Dorset, rescue facility says they have a long waiting list of people wanting to give their pet monkeys over to the sanctuary. And they also say monkey ownership in the U.K. is getting out of control.

Monkeys are now openly advertised online by U.K. pet dealers which make it seem that owning a primate is just as easy as owning a domesticated dog or cat. They rarely do checks to see if customers are suitable owners.

While most of the people who purchase monkeys as pets are well-meaning, they have no idea the effort it takes to raise them, they have no professional training and are unaware that domestication can be elusive. They often tire of the responsibility and end up giving them over to rescues, or worse, abandoning them to survive on their own, far from their natural habitat.

In 2016, at their citizens' urging, more than 100,000 people signed a petition asking the government to pass stricter controls on primate ownership, but in the end, the government refused.

It's time the government take action and ban the sale of monkey sales in the U.K. Monkeys don't belong in flats or houses, they belong in the jungles and rainforests from which they came. Anything else is relegating them to a cruel, unfulfilling life of captivity.

Please sign the petition, and demand that Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs to end private monkey sales today.
Update #24 years ago
Some horrible news from the United Kingdom. There has been no action on banning monkeys as pets and thousands of monkeys are currently being held in captivity and bred for the pet market. This must end. Continue to share this petition with your friends and keep the pressure on Parliament to bad monkeys as pets.
Update #14 years ago
Promising News. The Labor Party has committed to passing a total ban on The remaining monkey ownership in the United Kingdom. This is a huge step in the right direction. Let’s make sure they keep their word. Please share this petition to keep up the pressure.
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