WHEN GOOD INTENTIONS AREN’T ENOUGH

Precious became widely known in the media when the RSPCA were called to her home in Wales, UK.

She was found screaming and unable to walk, suffering from severe metabolic bone disease—a result of being fed an inadequate diet of yogurt and dried fruits. Despite her rescue, it was too late to save her. Precious was euthanized to end her suffering.

Her owners, who appeared remorseful and had good intentions, were fined £350 each, disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years, and ordered to pay associated costs. Even the best intentions cannot replace the specialized care that monkeys need.

Precious's story is not an isolated case. Marmosets are one of the most commonly kept pets in the UK, and due to lacking regulations, the exact number in private homes is unknown. While new laws introduced in 2024 now require owners to obtain a license, how this will be enforced remains to be seen.

CRUEL NOT CUTE

Sonya the slow loris became an internet sensation in 2009 when a video of her being “tickled” went viral.

People thought she looked adorable raising her arms, but what seemed cute was actually something much darker. That arm-raising? It’s a defense mechanism. Slow lorises raise their arms to access venom glands when they feel threatened. Sonya wasn’t enjoying herself—she was scared.

As a nocturnal, solitary primate, Sonya should have been living in the forests of Southeast Asia, not in a brightly lit room with humans. Like many other slow lorises in the pet trade, she was likely captured from the wild, and her teeth may have even been removed to make her “safer" - a practice not uncommon in this trade.

Sonya’s story is a perfect example of how humans just can’t fully understand what primates need—or what their behaviors mean. Keeping them as pets causes them harm, no matter how “cute” it looks. Her story should remind us that primates belong in the wild, not our homes.

THE LIFELONG IMPACTS OF THE PET TRADE

Morwella, an almost 40-year-old weeper capuchin, spent 25 years as a pet in the UK.

Despite her owners’ good intentions, the loss of her mother and original owner left Morwella living in isolation for much of her life. Confined to sparse cages, she developed severe self-harming behaviors, hyper-aggression, and obsessive habits like compulsively rolling a ball—her only source of stimulation for years.

In 2012, her owner, seeking a better life for her, surrendered Morwella to Wild Futures. Since then, she has slowly adjusted to sanctuary life, learning to climb, forage, and live alongside other monkeys. While her self-harming has greatly reduced, other abnormal behaviors persist, and she will likely never fully overcome the stress of her past.

Morwella will remain in captivity for the rest of her life, but at Wild Futures, she has found the freedom, care, and companionship she was denied for so long. Her story highlights the enduring harm inflicted by the pet trade.