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New law to restrict keeping of pet monkeys in England
When the law is enacted, pet primates will only be allowed under licence from 30 April 2026.
RSPCA calls for details on fate of existing kept monkeys.

A new law is set to make it illegal to keep a monkey at home, unless the owner meets specific standards.

However the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has called for further details of the fate of monkeys currently kept in homes, ahead of the rules being introduced in 2026.

The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2023 was passed on 27 February. It will mean it is illegal to keep a primate in a home in England, unless the owner meets licensing conditions enforced by the local authority.

When the law is enacted, pet primates will only be allowed under licence from 30 April 2026. The government has said that these licensing requirements will be equivalent to those required by zoos.

Bans on the keeping of primates had previously been included in the government’s Kept Animals Bill, before it was scrapped in May last year.

The new legislation has been welcomed by the RSPCA, which says it has long campaigned for a ban on keeping and selling primates as pets. The welfare charity believes that it is ‘practically impossible’ to fulfil a monkey’s needs at home.

The charity reports that its welfare officers have often encountered situations where monkeys have been kept in inappropriate conditions in private homes. It says that this legislation, which formed part of the Conservative Party’s manifesto, has the potential to improve the wellbeing of primates.

However, while the RSPCA has welcomed the newly passed legislation, it has expressed concerns for the welfare of pet primates that are currently kept in homes ahead of the law being enacted.

Dr Ros Clubb, RSPCA’s head of wildlife, said: “While this new law is an important step forward, we need a clear plan from the UK government about the potentially thousands of pet monkeys living in households across England.

“We need ministers to clearly set out how the welfare needs of these monkeys will be met once the new law comes into force.”

Image © Shutterstock

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
Germany livestock import ban lifted

The UK government has amended its ban on the import of livestock, meat and dairy products from Germany.

Defra said the decision follows 'rigorous technical assessment' of the measures applied and the current situation. "If the situation changes, we will not hesitate to take necessary action in response to the FMD outbreaks in the European Union to protect our domestic biosecurity," it said.

The ban was implemented in January following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) near Berlin. Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products will remain in place at a country level.