A Conservative MP has called for legislation to ban primates being kept as pets in the UK.
Mark Pritchard on Tuesday introduced a 10-minute rule bill urging the government to amend animal welfare laws to protect primate species.
He told ePolitix.com ahead of the debate that his bill aimed to stop the trading, keeping and selling of primates.
The Wrekin MP pointed out that over 3,000 primates are currently kept as pets in the United Kingdom, with many distressed as a result of being kept in cramped conditions.
"They're very transient beings and to be kept in a cage or in a very small room is not their natural habitat clearly, and it's something that distresses them," he said.
"Scientific studies have shown that it causes real stress, anxiety and psychological disorders. These primates also need natural light and so, often kept as pets in the back room or in a tower block somewhere or in a small cage, they don't have the natural light that they need."
Pritchard called on ministers to show "some resolve" and introduce legislation to "make the planet a safer and more hospitable place for the animals that we all love so much".
Habitat
And he pointed out that primates, unlike dogs or cats, can live for up to 40 years, making it a "real commitment if somebody's going to have a primate in the home".
"My view is that primates are best in their natural habitat and I hope the government will act to actually match their rhetoric with legislative action to ensure that primates are retained within their natural habitat, rather than being kept as pets in somebody's back room," he said.
He added that many of the animals were kept "in dark, cramped and isolated conditions which is not their natural habitat.
"These primates that need a lot of vertical space, need a lot of natural light, need a lot of dialogue that is touch and tactile interaction - not with human beings but with their own species.
"And people are very busy and perhaps spend a little bit of time with their primate pet but there needs to be constant interaction with these primates and that's best served by their own kind in their natural habitats where they belong."
'Custodians'
The MP has previously put forward two private members' bills on animal welfare, one to prevent the sale of endangered animals on the internet and one to protect common birds in nesting season.
He added: "We are supposed to be custodians of this planet, we live a very short time [and] while we're on this earth we need to care and look after the environment, which includes looking after animals in the best way we can.
"I believe that people do have a genuine care and concern for wildlife and animal welfare. Some of the biggest post bags that Members of Parliament have are to do with animal welfare issues.
"And if Parliament is to reflect public opinion and the government is to reflect public opinion then I think it needs to do far more than just talk about improving animal welfare protection and standards."
