Monkey rescued from London home after it was found in bird cage

A monkey has been rescued from a property in south London after it was found living in a bird cage.

The common marmoset monkey was found in a property in the borough of Greenwich after a concerned resident made a report to Greenwich Council about the animal’s poor welfare conditions.

Greenwich Council teamed up with the City of London Corporation - which provides regulatory animal health services for many London boroughs and councils across England - to investigate the report and retrieve the animal.

Officers from both the council and the corporation visited the suspected property and discovered the monkey living in a bird cage, an unsuitable environment for such an animal. The marmoset was also not being fed an appropriate diet and it was living alone.

Marmosets are social animals that often keep within groups of eight to ten in the wild. They must never be kept in isolation by human owners. 

The monkey was retrieved by officers from the council and the City Corporation’s licensing and animal welfare teams, alongside the RSPCA and the Metropolitan Police

Greenwich Council

The monkey’s owner also did not have a licence to keep it. Anyone who owns an exotic animal needs to comply with the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006.  

Failing to have the necessary licence or not looking after primates properly may result in a criminal offence for pet owners.

A second visit to their property took place with officers from the council and the City Corporation’s licensing and animal welfare teams, alongside the RSPCA and the Metropolitan Police. 

The unlicensed primate keeper agreed to voluntarily give up the marmoset. The monkey has now been transferred to a specialist facility to receive veterinary treatment. He will then be taken to a new home in a wildlife park to live with other marmosets.

The monkey’s unlicensed owner received a warning. Greenwich Council encouraged residents who suspect a primate is being kept without a licence or have any other animal welfare concerns to email [email protected].