A common marmoset found living alone in a bird cage in a South London home was rescued, giving the social animal a chance to live alongside others of its kind.
Here's what to know
The joint investigation by Greenwich Council and the City of London Corp. began with a concerned resident's report of poor animal welfare at a property in the borough, according to The Standard.
An inappropriate diet was one of the welfare problems officers identified during their visit to the home. The enclosure housing the monkey was also unsuitable for a primate.
Common marmosets typically live in groups of eight to 10 in the wild, and human owners must not house them in isolation, the newspaper reported.
More background
The marmoset was being kept without the required license.
A missing licence or inadequate care can make keeping a primate a criminal offence in England. Primate keepers must comply with both the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, per The Standard.
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The City of London Corp. handles animal-health regulation for numerous London boroughs and other English councils. That responsibility brought its officers into the Greenwich investigation alongside the local council.
What's being done?
The RSPCA and Metropolitan Police were among those present when officers returned for a second visit. Greenwich Council officers and the corporation's licensing and animal welfare teams also took part.
Officers removed the marmoset from the property after its unlicensed keeper agreed during that visit to surrender the animal voluntarily. The owner was given a warning.
A specialist center was providing the monkey with veterinary care.
At its next home, a wildlife park, it will have a chance to live with other marmosets instead of alone. The move will follow treatment.
Where can I learn more?
The marmoset needed suitable housing, veterinary care, and the company of fellow marmosets. These stories cover similar rescues.
• A Barbary macaque rescued from a tiny guinea pig cage found comfort in his rescuer's hand.
• In Tennessee, a marmoset found on a suburban porch was reunited with its owner.
• A rescued moon bear spent 23 years in confinement with only a 7-centimeter opening outside.
• In Indonesia, a sun bear returned to the wild after a year of rehabilitation.
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