Wild Futures to Present in Parliament
Wild Futures, the leading primate welfare charity that runs The Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall, will today be presenting oral evidence to the EFRA Select Committee in Parliament as part of the government’s inquiry into whether primates should be kept as pets.
The EFRA Select Committee is a committee of MPs appointed by the House of Commons to examine the administration and policy of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The EFRA Committee is one of the 19 Select Committees related to Government Departments, established by the House of Commons under Standing Order No. 152.
Today’s oral presentation is an evidence session which will focus on the issues around the keeping of primates as pets and the animal welfare codes of practice and legislations in that area.
Rachel Hevesi, Director of Wild Futures, will be presenting Wild Futures’ evidence first at 3pm, followed by five other speakers chosen by the committee based on their knowledge of the trade and primate welfare.
Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary has been in operation for 50 years. It offers a home for life to monkeys in need, many rescued from the primate pet trade. Wild Futures started its campaign to end the primate pet trade 10 years ago due to becoming extremely concerned about the physical and psychological issues it was observing in monkeys rescued from the pet trade and also due to a fear that the trade was escalating.
In 2010, Wild Futures worked with the RSPCA to produce a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates, however Wild Futures has seen many cases where the code is not applied effectively and it also believes it is not sufficient enough to ensure primate welfare even when a primate pet owner has been issued a licence.
Wild Futures estimated in 2009 that there were between 2,485 and 7,454 privately kept primates in Britain. Between that time and 2012, the number of licensed individual primates rose by 21%, leading to present estimates of between 3006 and 9017 privately kept primates in Britain.
Wild Futures believes that the trade and keeping of primates as pets should be banned in the UK. Bans have already been successfully implemented elsewhere such as the Netherlands, Norway, Australia and in various US states such as Massachusetts.
Rachel Hevesi, Director of Wild Futures states: “We are delighted that our campaign to end the primate pet trade has reached this level. We hope that in the course of the present inquiry into primates kept as pets, the EFRA Select Committee prioritises primate welfare and human safety, and chooses to ban the trade in pet primates.”
You can read Wild Futures’ full written evidence which was submitted prior to the oral evidence in January, at: http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/WrittenEvidence.svc/EvidenceHtml/4964
The oral evidence which is to be presented on Wednesday 5th February 2014 at 3pm, and which starts with Wild Futures, can be viewed online at: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=14846
Notes to Editors:
Release date: 5 February 2014
About Wild Futures
Wild Futures (Charity reg. No. 1102532) is an educational and environmental charity promoting the welfare and conservation of primates, and working to end the abuse of primates in captivity. Its flagship project, The Monkey Sanctuary, in Cornwall, is home to victims of the primate pet trade. The Monkey Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in Europe accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and is a founder member of EARS (European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries). Drawing on 50 years of primate expertise, Wild Futures acts as an advisory body to sanctuaries and conservation organisations in the UK and overseas and advises DEFRA on UK animal welfare legislation.
For more information contact:
Hayley Dann, Head of Income Generation and PR
T: 0844 272 1271