A terrified marmoset who was found abandoned in a hidden cage on a London bus is settling into her new home, after having her life turned around.
Common marmoset Oyster was found on the route 302 bus – travelling between Mill Hill Broadway Station and Kensal Rise – on 17 July.
The driver made the discovery after a woman pushing a buggy asked for help to move a large bag in her path, and Oyster started screeching inside.
The frightened monkey had been shut inside her cage which was covered with a plastic laundry bag. She was taken back to the bus company’s depot where RSPCA officers came to collect her.
Now, the little primate – who has since been renamed Nibbles – is settling into her new home at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, in Essex.
Hopefield’s General Manager Lianne Angliss 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!”
Hopefield is home to almost 700 animals – including five other marmosets. Due to the males not getting on, they housed them in bonded pairs but had one male – Loki – who was sadly living on his own, so they’d been searching for a female to be his companion for some time.
Nibbles is due to be introduced to Loki next month after completing her quarantine time.
The RSPCA’s investigation is ongoing and London Chief Inspector Clare Dew renewed her appeal for witnesses to come forward.
She said: “We’re still keen to hear from anyone who was on the 302 bus on the morning of 17 July and who may have seen someone board with the laundry bag.
“We’ve followed up a number of lines of enquiry but we’re still
searching for Nibbles’ owner or whoever was responsible for leaving her so we can find out more about the circumstances around her abandonment.
“Nibbles has completed a temporary hold with us at the RSPCA and has now been taken on by Hopefield where she’ll get the expert care she needs, as well as the vital socialisation with other marmosets.
“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.”
The RSPCA has warned that thousands of primates could be at risk of abandonment, or face being kept secretly in illegal conditions, amid reports of limited compliance with the new licensing laws for primate keepers in England.
The new regulations mean all private primate keepers must hold a valid licence, and ensure animals are kept in conditions that meet their complex welfare needs. RSPCA experts fear this means large numbers of monkeys being kept as pets will either be kept in poor conditions incompatible with the new licenses – or face being dumped by owners unwilling to comply.
Anyone with information which could help the RSPCA’s investigation should contact the appeal line on 0300 123 8018, quoting reference 1857303.
