The UK Primate Pet Trade: An Overview

The UK Primate Pet Trade:
An Overview
Brooke Aldrich and Rachel Hevesi, Wild Futures
Compassionate Conservation: Animal Welfare in Conservation Practice
An International Symposium
Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford
September 2010
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It is legal to keep primates as pets in the UK
Mori poll for IFAW 2005: 79% agree that it should be illegal for monkeys to be kept
as pets.
Over 300 primatologists sign the RSPCA / Wild Futures statement Edinburgh
2008
International Primatological Society Position Statement on the Private
Ownership of Nonhuman Primates
Wild Futures petition: 31,000+ signatures submitted 2009
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AWA Welfare Offence - Duty of Care:
-A suitable environment in which to live
-Food and water
-Express normal behaviour
-Be housed with or apart from the same or other species
-Appropriate protection from, and diagnosis and treatment of, pain,
injury and disease.
-Not enforceable in the absence of properly enforced licensing
scheme
-Not enforceable without specialist input from species experts
Dangerous Wild Animals (DWA) Act 1976:
-Any animal can in theory be kept
-About human safety, not animal welfare or conservation
-Administered by 400+ Local Authorities
-No central register of licenses issued
-Widespread non-compliance
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78% from the UK trade (including
unregulated sanctuaries) , others
from elsewhere in Europe
30% wild caught
17% bred in captivity for pet trade
13% originated in zoos (22% suspected)
39% of uncertain origin
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February 2010:
319 Primates licensed under DWAA
85-95% non-compliance (DEFRA) / 82% non-compliance (Wild Futures)
2127-6380 privately kept DWAA licensable primates
20092010 = 4.42% increase in number of DWA licences overall but
20092010 = 13.93% increase in number of licensed primates
2009 2010 = 9.62% increase in number of Local Authorities issuing licences
for primates
2485-7454 privately kept primates overall
(including non-DWAA primates such as bush babies, tamarins, squirrel monkeys
and marmosets) – Wild Futures and RSPCA
(estimate for 2009)
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The Specialist Keeper’s
Association:
40% capuchins (£6,500 £13,000 pair)
30% squirrel monkeys
(£5,500 - £7,000 pair)
10% large primates
5% lemur species ...
(£2,500 - £4,000 pair)
15% marmosets &
tamarins (£1,000 - £2,700)
Source: www.tska.org; Rory Matier
Pet shops, internet classifieds, specialist forums:
Tamarins, marmosets, squirrel monkeys, bush babies, capuchins, (scams)
RSPCA cases: marmosets
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heart disorders
tumours
abnormal/neurotic
behaviours
blood
abnormalities
intentionally
mutilated
skeletal disorders
broken or missing
digits or tails
dental problems
over or
underweight
Physical and behavioural disorders in 23 rescued monkeys
25
20
15
10
5
0
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Origin unknown, pet passed on to unregulated sanctuary where she received
no veterinary care despite enormous parasite load, loss of tail due to frostbite
and severe emaciation.
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“Rescued from the Wild”
(CITES document)
Wild caught in Suriname,
legally imported into UK for
‘personal use’. Initially
licensed but licence not
renewed (no follow-up from
Local Authority).
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Code of Practice for the
Welfare of Privately Kept
Non-Human Primates:
April 2010
“We all agree that primates do not
make suitable pets...the government
intends to develop a code for the
keeping of primates. Its likely effect
will be to restrict their keeping to
zoos, scientific institutions and
specialist keepers.”
Ben Bradshaw - House of Commons 2006
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The UK primate pet trade constitutes a significant welfare problem with possible
conservation implications.
Research is needed into the
connection between legal trades in
places like the UK and
conservation issues in primate
habitat countries, and to further
establish that the keeping of
primates as pets presents serious
welfare problems.
Education is vital to reducing
demand.
Tighter legislation, with proper
enforcement, is necessary to
protect primates in the UK
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Thank you:
Ros Clubb and Rob
Atkinson, RSPCA; Liz
Tyson, Wild Futures;
Izzy Hunt for assistance
with DWA research
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