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MPs reject immediate ban on monkeys being kept as pets

MPs rejected an immediate ban on primates, such as monkeys, being kept at pets, despite protests from animal rights campaigners who say the animals cannot be properly cared for "in a household environment".

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Care for primates 'must be the same as a zoo'

Primates are entitled to the same level of care they would get in a zoo from their owner if they are kept as a pet, a group of MPs has said.

Chair of the Commons environment, food and rural affairs select committee, Anne McIntosh, said:

We call on Defra to commission independent research to establish the extent of problems in this area and report back to us with a plan of action within six months of receiving the research results.

In the meantime, we recommend a number of changes to the current regulatory framework governing primates kept by private individuals to help protect their welfare over the short to medium term.

The Government must ensure standards for primates kept in private match those required in zoos. The quality of care that these animals enjoy should be the same.

– Conservative MP Anne McIntosh

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