Currently, you may obtain a license from your local council to keep wild, dangerous or exotic animals, including most monkey species and other primates as pets in the United Kingdom. UK animal laws require that you properly care for any animal you keep as a pet. Speaking of care, UK animal laws require that pet owners provide their pets with a proper diet and fresh water, somewhere suitable to live, and protection from, and treatment for, illness and injury.
Furthermore, you must be at least 18 years old to own a pet monkey or other animals in the UK. Failure to properly care for your pet monkey or other primates could result in an unlimited fine and up to 6 months imprisonment. In addition, you may not be able to own animals in the future. With that in mind, below are the types of monkeys that are commonly kept as pets in the United Kingdom.
Please note that the laws regarding the ownership of monkeys may change at any time, as RSPCA and other animal organizations are campaigning against primates as pets and calling for the governments of England and Wales to change the law.
1. Capuchin Monkeys
Capuchins are one of the New-world monkeys legal to keep as pets with a license in the United Kingdom. These species of monkeys are energetic and require enrichment and an active lifestyle when kept as pets. Capuchins typically grow between 12 and 22 inches long and have a lifespan of 35 to 45 years in human care. Acquiring a pet Capuchin monkey in the UK can cost you anywhere from £3000 to £6000.
2. Squirrel Monkeys
Another New World monkey you can legally keep as a pet in the United Kingdom is the Squirrel monkey. Endemic to tropical forests of Central and South America, Squirrel Monkeys are diurnal, live in groups of 15-12, and are deemed to be one of the cleverest monkeys.
They are classified as frugivores and insectivores because they eat mainly fruits and insects. Squirrel monkeys measure up to 12.5 inches in body length and can live up to 20 years in human care. Squirrel monkeys in addition to owl monkeys and titi monkeys are excepted from the UK's Dangerous Wild Animals list. This means that you don't need a license to own a Squirrel monkey as a pet in the UK.
3. Marmoset Monkeys
Marmoset monkeys are legal to keep as pets in many European countries including the UK. The white-tufted marmoset or the common marmoset and the Pygmy marmoset are the most popular species of Marmosets commonly kept as pets in the United Kingdom. Both the white-tufted and Pygmy marmosets have an average lifespan of 16 years in human care. It will cost up to £2,000 to buy a Marmoset monkey in the UK. Currently, a license is not required to keep a marmoset monkey as a pet in the UK.
4. Macaque Monkeys
One of the Old World monkeys that are currently legal to keep as a pet in the UK is the Macaque monkey. Macaque monkeys are classified as frugivorous, although their diet also includes leaves, flowers, tree bark, and seeds. Like all primates, the practice of keeping Macaque monkeys as pets is controversial.
Queen of England, Henrietta Maria of France, and Queen Catherine de' Medici are known to have kept monkeys as pets. While having a pet monkey in your home can be very exciting, you should consider all the requirements and possible dangers it poses to you and your family's health and safety before welcoming a Macaque monkey into your home. Macaque Monkeys live between 20 and 27 years depending on the species.
5. Guenon Monkeys
Another Old World monkey you can legally keep as a pet with a license in the UK is the Guenon Monkey. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, Guenon monkeys usually measure between 16 and 22 inches in body length and have a lifespan of up to 30 years in human care. By all accounts, Guenon monkeys are high maintenance but can make gentle, trusting pets if acquired young and treated well.
6. Patas Monkeys
Patas monkeys are ground-dwelling primates native to West and East Africa. In the UK, you can obtain a license to keep a Patas monkey as an exotic pet. Known as the fastest primates on Earth, Patas monkeys, also known as the wadi monkeys or hussar monkeys, can move at speeds up to 34 mph. Physically adapted for life on the ground, Patas monkeys feed primarily on Acacia fruits, leaves, flowers and tree gum. Patas Monkeys can live for up 20 years in human care.
7. Tamarin Monkeys
Currently, you don't need to obtain a license in order to keep a Tamarin monkey as a pet in the UK. According to many Tamarin owners, Tamarins make great pet monkeys if properly cared for and well-treated. Tamarins are sometimes referred to as pocket monkeys, due to the fact that they're small enough to fit in your pocket. In the UK, purchasing a pet Tamarin monkey can be as easy as purchasing a pet bunny rabbit or a goldfish. Cotton-top Tamarins and Emperor Tamarins live for up to 24 years in human care.
Other Primates That Are Legal As Pets in The UK
Other primates that require a license to keep as pets in the United Kingdom include Baboons, drills and mandrills, langurs, leaf monkeys, proboscis monkeys, colobus monkeys, theropithecus, talapoin monkeys, howler monkeys, woolly monkeys, saki monkeys, uakari monkeys, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gorillas, lemurs (except the woolly lemur and Lac Alaotra bamboo lemur), and gibbons.
How Much Does it Cost To Obtain a Dangerous Wild Animals License in The UK?
As mentioned earlier in this article, a Dangerous Wild Animals License is required to keep most monkey species and other primates as pets in the United Kingdom. However, the license comes with an initial application fee and a yearly renewal fee.
These fees vary from one local government to another. For example, the local council for the district of Bath and North East Somerset set the initial application fee for the Dangerous Wild Animals License at £348 and the renewal application fee at £131.
In the East Riding of Yorkshire, the Dangerous Wild Animals License application fee is £390. In Bristol, England, the application fee for the dangerous and wild animal license is £208 in addition to inspection fees, which cost around £104 per hour.
