As the deadline for the imposition of a new animal rights law looms, thousands of pet monkey keepers across the UK face having their animals seized by authorities and put down
Ross Geller-style monkey fanatics are in danger of having their pet primates seized and killed.
Warnings have been issued to fans of the furballs as a ban on keeping the animals in homes – just like Friends character Ross did – looms. Experts say there are between 4,000 and 5,000 marmosets, capuchins, squirrel and tamarin monkeys, as well as other primates, in UK houses.
Researchers blame social media videos for fuelling the trend. But under new laws that are set to be imposed from April 6, owners will have to prove they can keep monkeys and primates to high “zoo-level” standards.
They will also need a licence. But only three applications for licences were made to local authorities in England by the start of November. The shockingly low level comes despite the process being open for a year.
A ban on keeping monkey in homes without zoo-like upkeep was introduced under Rishi Sunak’s government and signed into law in 2024.
Chris Lewis from Born Free – the charity that obtained the application stats – said: “Successive governments have singularly failed to raise awareness of these regulations and their implications. Without full compliance, primates remain at serious risk of enduring neglect, poor living conditions and hidden suffering.”
Many monkeys kept in UK homes are being forced to endure life in tiny enclosures without enough daylight. They are also fed the wrong diet, animal welfare activists warn.
Lord Douglas-Miller, former Animal Welfare Minister, warned: “Anyone who fails to provide the same welfare standards as found in a zoo faces a fine and having the primate removed from their care.”
Celebrity monkey fans including Justin Bieber – whose pet Capuchin monkey OG Mally was confiscated from him in Germany in 2013 by customs officials – are also being blamed for the trend of keeping them as pets.
The new monkey-keeping standards cover enclosure sizes, indoor and outdoor access and UV light levels. Campaigners say they will be difficult for most residents to meet, and expect the new monkey law to result in a flood of seizures of the animals to pull them out of unsuitable living conditions.
Primates removed in poor health could be put down. Rescued primates can suffer from diabetes, arthritis, heart conditions and metabolic bone disease.
But there are few spaces for rescued monkeys, meaning the number facing being euthanised is likely to soar once the pet law kicks in.
Sarah Hanson, director of the Wild Futures charity that runs a sanctuary in Cornwall, said: “The majority of rescues that we do, they have come from extremely inappropriate conditions. We’ve rescued from garden sheds, from cages inside of homes, breeze block outbuildings, a whole host of different things, with pets being fed very human diets.”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We urge private keepers to make sure they are licensed and complying with these high welfare standards, and we are working with local authorities on how to enforce the new licensing scheme.”
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