The monkey, nicknamed Oyster, is settling into a new home at an animal sanctuary
Credit: RSPCA
NEED TO KNOW
- A marmoset monkey nicknamed Oyster was discovered “abandoned” inside a laundry bag on a London bus on Friday, July 17
- U.K. charity the RSPCA believes the incident may be linked to recent laws in the country that require people to hold licenses to keep primates as pets
- The monkey was found “frightened” and “stressed” the charity said
A “frightened” marmoset monkey has been discovered inside a laundry bag on a bus in London.
The female primate, which is native to South America, was found “abandoned” and “disguised as laundry,” on Friday, July 17, U.K. charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) wrote in a Facebook post.
The incident occurred at 11:43 a.m. local time on a Metroline bus, the charity said in a release obtained by PEOPLE.
“It was only when someone tried to get past the laundry bag that the frightened, stressed marmoset made her presence known,” the RSPCA added on Facebook, sharing a photo of the marmoset, which has been nicknamed Oyster after a pre-payment travel card used by Transport for London (TfL).
Credit: RSPCA
“The bus driver and Metroline team did a wonderful job taking care of her in a cool, dark place until we arrived and took her to a specialist facility for care,” the RSPCA continued.
“They are now supporting our investigation to find who left her on the bus. We would be keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a person board the 302 bus with a laundry bag, [traveling] between Mill Hill Broadway Station and Kensal Rise on Friday 17th July,” the charity added, asking anybody with information to get in touch.
The RSPCA confirmed that Oyster is now “doing well with experienced keepers who hope to introduce her to a male companion soon, all being well.”
As of April of this year, licenses are required to keep primates as pets in the U.K., the charity said, and noted the British government “estimates that up to 5,000 primates are being kept as pets across England.”
The licenses mean “any [primates] kept as pets are subject to strict regulations relating to their physical, mental, behavioural and social needs, as they already are in specialist facilities such as zoos,” the RSPCA said on Facebook, insisting they don’t think primates should be kept as pets.
“We want to see a future where monkeys are no longer kept in homes, but protected in environments that truly meet their needs,” the charity wrote.
Credit: RSPCA
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RSPCA London Chief Inspector Clare Dew, who is investigating the case, said, per a release obtained by PEOPLE, “A [mom] got on the bus with her [stroller] but couldn’t get down the walkway because the laundry bag was sticking out of the luggage bay and blocking the way.”
“The driver came to help her and, as he pushed the bag out of the way, the monkey inside started chirping and jumping around. When he peered inside the bag he spotted the frightened marmoset,” she added.
Dew said that the monkey had been discovered “inside a small, white, metal bird cage which had been wrapped inside a plastic, chequered laundry bag, with handles, so was well concealed. She’d been left with some apple but was, understandably, very stressed and dehydrated.”
She thanked the bus driver and the team at Metroline for how they handled the situation.
Credit: RSPCA
“No one noticed anything unusual on the bus before the monkey was discovered but we’ll be looking at CCTV and the logs for scanning on and off the bus to see if we can locate the person who left her onboard. It was clearly intentional,” Dew shared, per the release.
“This is clearly a direct result of the new legislation and is something we feared would happen. I’d be surprised if it’s the last primate we see being dumped.”
“What we would say to anyone who is struggling to care for a pet or who cannot get a [license] for any primate they have, please speak to specialists, vets or charities, don’t abandon them as it can have tragic consequences,” Dew said.
The primate, who was not microchipped, has been given a clean bill of health after being seen by a specialist exotics vet for a check-up, the release noted.
Oyster has since been settling into a new home at a sanctuary with specialist facilities for primates, the RSPCA said, adding that she will soon be introduced to a male companion.
“In a twist of fate, a sanctuary had been working with us to find a suitable female marmoset to introduce to a lone male they were caring for,” Dew said, per the release. “We were hoping to transfer one from the north of England but, when that fell through just a few hours before Oyster was rescued, it looked like destiny that Oyster was supposed to go there.”
“She’s settled in really well over the weekend, and is eating well, so hopefully she’ll be able to meet her new friend soon. If she isn’t claimed then she’ll remain there with experienced keepers, a wonderful enclosure and company,” Dew continued.
Metroline and the TfL didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment.
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