Middlesbrough Council has received its first application from a resident seeking a licence to keep a primate under new national regulations introduced earlier this year.
The legislation, which came into force in April, requires anyone wishing to keep monkeys, lemurs, marmosets and other primates in residential settings to obtain a licence from their local authority.
Under the new rules, owners must meet welfare standards similar to those required in zoos, with councils responsible for ensuring applicants can provide suitable care and accommodation.
Middlesbrough Council confirmed it has received its first application under the scheme but declined to provide further details about the applicant or the type of primate involved.
The regulations require licensed keepers to provide both indoor and outdoor enclosures, with primates remaining within approved premises except in limited circumstances such as veterinary treatment.
Guidance from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) explains that existing and prospective keepers of primates are now required to be licensed by the local authority for the area in which the primate is or is proposed to be kept. Only a person – not an organisation – can keep an animal under this primate licence.
Local authorities are responsible for administering and enforcing this licensing regime. Local authorities must make sure that:
- individuals who apply for a licence are likely to meet the licence conditions
- licences are not granted to individuals that are disqualified from keeping primates
- they take appropriate enforcement action against those individuals who do not have a licence when they should
- they monitor compliance with the licence conditions themselves
Under the legislation, keeping a primate without the appropriate licence is a criminal offence unless the animal is being kept under a zoo licence or a licence issued for scientific purposes. Those found in breach of the regulations could face fines or imprisonment.
Licences are generally valid for three years, although shorter periods can be granted if requested by the applicant.
The Government introduced the changes following concerns from animal welfare organisations about the suitability of keeping highly intelligent and social animals in domestic environments without appropriate care standards.
