Abandoned marmoset settles into new home
The animal sanctuary is working on building up Nibbles' confidence.
A common marmoset, who was abandoned in a laundry bag on a London bus, is now settled into a new home at an animal sanctuary.
Nibbles, originally named Oyster, had been found on the route 302 bus on 17 July 2026. The bus driver found her after a woman with a buggy asked for help to move a large bag.
The marmoset had been shut inside a cage and covered in a plastic laundry bag. The driver took the terrified primate back to the bus depot, where RSPCA officers picked her up.
Nibbles had a temporary hold at the RSPCA, before she was taken on by Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Essex.
After she has completed her quarantine there, Nibbles will be introduced to male marmoset Loki as a potential companion.
Male marmosets do not get along, and so the sanctuary will typically house them in bonded pairs with a female. Loki lives on his own and has been seeking a female companion for some time.
Lianne Angliss, general manager, said: “Nibbles is very timid and quite shy so we’re working on building up her confidence and teaching her to come to us for food so we can carry out regular checks on her and make sure she’s happy and healthy.
“At the moment, when we approach, she climbs up high so she can keep her distance so we have to approach calmly, slowly and quietly.
“It’s going to take time but we’re confident that, once she’s been introduced to her new friend, she’ll become more outgoing and his energy and cheekiness will rub off on her!”
An investigation is ongoing into Nibbles’ abandonment, with the RSPCA renewing calls for witnesses. While several lines of inquiry are being followed, officers wish to speak to anyone present on the bus that morning as they seek the marmoset’s previous owner.
London Chief Inspector Clare Dew said: “We’re so pleased she’d got such a happy ending after everything she’s been through, but we fear she won’t be the last to be abandoned, handed over or left behind following the introduction of tough new conditions around keeping primates as pets.”
Image © RSPCA
Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
