Keeping of Primates As Pets (Prohibition)

Sheryll Murray Excerpts

Wednesday 18th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to prohibit the keeping of primates as pets in the United Kingdom and the breeding, sale and purchase of primates; to introduce breed-specific codes of practice for the keeping of primates in animal sanctuaries and for species conservation; and for connected purposes.

I present this Bill to the House today on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. I refer to non-human primates, most commonly referred to as monkeys. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Wild Futures estimate that between 2,500 and 7,500 primates are kept as pets in England, Wales and Scotland, but others suggest the number might be as high as 15,000 to 20,000. Owing to the lack of registered breeders and the unregulated nature of selling monkeys to private buyers, it is very difficult to come up with an exact figure. I will explain to the House how monkeys suffer by being kept as household pets, and why there is such a strong case for banning primates as pets.

More than 360 highly regarded primatologists and other respected professionals support the call for a restriction on primate keeping to genuine specialists, and only for the purposes of sanctuary or conservation. There are many countries that have already banned keeping primates as pets, including Israel, Mexico, Honduras, India, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden. I will explain to the House why it is entirely necessary to follow the lead of these countries and introduce a ban on keeping primates as pets in the UK.

As some hon. Members may know, the Monkey Sanctuary in Looe is in the heart of my constituency of South East Cornwall, and some may even remember the tale of Donkey the monkey, whom I spoke about in another debate. I would like to report that he is keeping very well. It is telling that none of the monkeys re-homed at the Monkey Sanctuary was free of behavioural problems on arrival, and most showed multiple neuroses. Primates show evidence of self-awareness and intelligence, and have sophisticated cognitive capacities and complex patterns of behaviour. They also form intricate social relationships and are keen problem solvers. It is well known that non-human primate intelligence is on a par with that of humans.

However, the RSPCA has confirmed that 61% of incidents involved primates being housed alone. The effects of a lack of socialisation are profound. These include high levels of abnormal behaviours such as self-mutilation and difficulties socialising. Furthermore, cutting off the period in which young primates are dependent on their mothers is known to have long-lasting negative psychological and physiological effects. The Monkey Sanctuary informed me that common repetitive behaviours are classic in ex-pets. Examples include pacing, head twisting, teeth grinding, rocking and overeating. Primates also require a high level of specialist care to provide for their complex needs.

Commercially available primate foods do not account for specific dietary requirements. Inappropriate diet can increase susceptibility to diseases of human origin, including respiratory, gastro-intestinal, skin and viral disorders. Primates have been found to have been fed seriously inappropriate items, such as coffee, tobacco and marijuana.

Furthermore, RSPCA records show that over a quarter of cages were judged to be ridiculously small—in some instances, monkeys were found housed in parrot cages. For those who do not think that it could get worse for those monkeys, here is another fact: they are mostly kept indoors. That leads to a lack of sunlight, which means that the necessary vitamin D levels are rarely met. Bone disease in primates kept as pets is a recurrent problem.

Let me tell the story of Joey, a capuchin monkey who is now residing at the Monkey Sanctuary in Looe—Members who wish to see a photo of Joey can see me after the debate. He was kept in a small cage in a London apartment for nine years. A lack of natural light and proper diet led to nutritional bone disease. He has extensive bone deformation, including bowed limb bones and poor bone density. He cannot climb or eat easily and is permanently disabled. He also displays the stereotypical rocking behaviour that is classic for ex-pets. His owner was away most of the time and, other than a friend who spent about an hour with him every day, Joey had no social companionship. It appears that the local council granted a licence for Joey under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 for at least the first year, but at some point it was not renewed and the council never followed up the case. That means that the council seems to approve of the conditions in which Joey was kept, conditions that led to serious physical deformities and behavioural abnormalities.

Another case only last month concerned a ring-tailed lemur found on Tooting common. He had collapsed in sub-zero temperatures and was diagnosed with hypothermia, severe dehydration and shock. Named King Julien by the staff at the Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, he was cold, scared and did not want to eat. Happily, the lemur is now on the road to recovery and strong enough to leave the charity’s care. He has been transferred to Specialist Wildlife Services. I would like to thank those at the Blue Cross hospital for everything they did for King Julien and for doing all they can to re-accommodate him in a suitable environment.

Another recent case did not have such a happy ending. A west-midlands couple who owned a crippled baby marmoset monkey sold him in a fish and chip shop car park for £650 in June, rather than take him to a vet. An RSPCA primatologist said that Mikey had advanced bone disease and seven fractures. His tail, which is used for balancing, was broken. His injuries were deemed so severe that he had to be put down. The couple were convicted of animal cruelty and banned from keeping pets for life.

I argue that the Animal Welfare Act 2006 has not been an effective tool in protecting primates that are kept as household pets. The Act states that local authorities are meant to inspect the primate’s living conditions and assess whether it has a safe environment. Monkeys are let down by the fact that many local authorities lack primate expertise. They do not have the working knowledge required to assess correctly whether a primate is in a healthy environment. This leads to cases such as that of Joey, who ended up being re-homed at the Monkey Sanctuary but with severe physical and psychological problems, and monkeys like Mikey inevitably having to be put down.

The RSPCA has also confirmed that, proportionately, complaints reported to it were four to 12 times more frequent for primates than for typical pet species. I cannot fault the premise of the 2006 Act, but evidently it is not accomplishing what it set out to do, which is to protect these animals. The only effective means of adequately safeguarding pet primate welfare is banning the keeping of primates as pets. I therefore urge all hon. Members to support the Bill, which would free these monkeys who cannot help themselves.

Question put and agreed to.

Ordered,

That Sheryll Murray, Oliver Colvile, Zac Goldsmith, Bob Stewart, Mark Pritchard, Caroline Nokes, Stephen Gilbert, Katy Clark, Mark Lazarowicz, Neil Parish, Peter Aldous and Joan Walley present the Bill.

Sheryll Murray accordingly presented the Bill.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 30 March, and to be printed (Bill 273).