UK: Keeping primates as pets banned

On 5 March 2024, the British government signed measures into law to ban the keeping of primates as pets. The new law will introduce a licensing scheme with stringent rules ensuring that only those private owners who adhere to newly welfare and licensing requirements will be permitted to keep primates. The measures will take effect on 6 April 2026, mandating that all primates in England must be maintained according to standards comparable to those of zoos, essentially making it illegal to have primates as pets. Currently, it is believed that as many as 5,000 primates are being kept as pets in homes across the UK. Given their complex needs for welfare and social interaction, most experts agree that these wild animals cannot receive appropriate care in such settings.