APPENDIX 3: CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE WELFARE
OF PRIVATELY KEPT NON-HUMAN PRIMATES
Information from the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs
Q1. Are there going
to be any more of these Codes?
A1. We are working
on a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for
Sporting Purposes. No others are planned.
Q2. Is there a
list available of the primates requiring a licence under the 1976
Act and those which do not?
A2. The Schedule to
the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 was recently amended and the
list is now:
New-world monkeys (including capuchin, howler, saki,
uacari, spider and woolly monkeys). Night monkeys (also known
as owl monkeys), titi monkeys and squirrel monkeys are excepted.
Old-world monkeys (including baboons, the drill, colobus monkeys,
the gelada, guenons, langurs, leaf monkeys, macaques, the mandrill,
mangabeys, the patas and proboscis monkeys and the talapoin).
Anthropoid apes; chimpanzees, bonobos, orang-utans and gorillas.
Gibbons and Siamangs. Leaping lemurs (including the indri and
sifakas). The woolly lemur is excepted. Large lemurs. Bamboo or
gentle lemurs are excepted.
Primates for which you do not need a DWAA licence
are:
marmosets, tamarins, squirrel monkeys, night or owl
monkeys, titi monkeys, woolly lemur, bamboo or gentle lemurs;
plus loads of others available through the attached link:
http://www.unep-wcmc.org/isdb/Taxonomy/tax-order-result.cfm?country=&order=124&startrow=26&source=animals
Q3. Have you any
knowledge as to the make up of the private primate population?
I assume that a small primate would have different welfare needs
to one of the larger primates.
A4. The most popular
privately kept primates are: capuchins, marmosets, tamarins, squirrel
monkeys, owl and titi monkeys. We have been told that there are
very few if any great apes in private ownership (eg chimpanzees,
gorillas, orang-utans). Different sorts of primates have different
needs but the code aims to provide a general over-view of needs
and prompt the owner to get further, more detailed advice, where
necessary.
Q5. Why does the
Government see the Code as being necessary if there is no firm
evidence that there is a widespread welfare problem (paragraph
8.2 of EM)?
A5. MPs and Peers
raised concerns about the availability of primates to non-specialists
during the passage of the Animal Welfare Bill through Parliament.
The Government agreed to look at the problem. The Government considered
that there did not appear to be a large problem to warrant the
introduction of a regulatory scheme. However the Government accepted
that the de-listing of some primates from the Dangerous Wild Animals
Act 1976 meant that there was no longer a need to ensure to local
authority inspectors, under that legislation, that those particular
primates were provided with their necessary welfare needs. It
was also accepted by the Government that primates are complex
animals (humans closest animals) that require specialist attention.
The Code of Practice is therefore intended to inform owners (or
prospective owners) what is required to look after a primate,
whether it is on the DWAA list or not.
Q6. Has the Government
any plans to fill the knowledge gaps around the private primate
population as a basis for deciding whether there is a regulatory
gap?
A6. The impact assessment
concludes that there is little evidence to support a regulatory
regime but accepts that primates are complex creatures that require
specialist attention. The code would be light touch and points
out what owners should already be doing under the Animal Welfare
Act 2006 - ie, providing for the welfare needs of their animals.
We will need to review the code within the next 5 years which
will show how effective it has been.
Ministerial Commitment
I can confirm that the government commitment was
for a code of practice.
Quote by the then Animal Welfare Minister, Ben Bradshaw,
MP (Standing Committee, Animal Welfare Bill, 19th Jan 2006):
"I can tell the hon. Member for Lewes and my
hon. Friends the Members for Stroud and for Llanelli (Nia Griffith)
that, as a priority, the Government intend to develop a code for
the keeping of primates."
This was repeated in the Lords at Grand Committee
stage by Baroness Farringdon on 24th May 2006.
January 2010
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