Monkeys

[Zazoo]

Please answer my question, I want to know everyone's oppinion!!! I want to know if you think a monkey is a good or a bad pet to have? I have always loved monkeys, and I have always wanted one as a pet. Also why do you think a monkey is a good or a bad pet to have?

[Elizabeth]

It is my opinion that wild animals are best left in the wild. I saw a tv program not too long ago about a organization that rescued monkeys from homes where people didn't want their "pet" monkeys anymore. The monkeys are often trapped and sent to this country illegally. It's only when the demand is gone that is practice will stop. It is really sad what we humans do to animals for profit.

[carrie]

Hi,
I totally agree that wild animals are totally unsuitable pets. It has taken thousands of years to domesticate the animals we live with. Even then you only have to look at the ever increasing number of "behaviour problems" seen in domestic animals to realise that we haven't really got the hang of it yet. Please think, it was only in the past few years that we discovered many apes and monkeys eat and hunt meat so what real hope has anyone of giving a monkey a suitable lifestyle? Once mature a pet monkey can become as dangerous as any wild animal. It is a lovely thought but the reality would certainly end in misery for the monkey and you.
In short, don't do it- give the money you save to an ape rescue charity instead and listen to some of the heart breaking stories that a little thought could of prevented. Please try looking up Monkey World in Dorset, England

[carrie]

Hi again,
We had a similar situation in the U.K. until the early seventies when the dangerous animal laws were tightened up. This meant that a license was needed proving not only sufficient knowledge, but also secure housing was needed to keep wild animals. This was a suprisingly common practice, one of the lions released by the late and great George Adamson was a male rescued from a furniture store in London by two Australians living there at the time!!
Since these laws were brought in rather abruptly and would of meant great cost to many people who kept unlicensed animals an awful lot of them were shot, or released to their chances.
A lady I knew when I was a child, an amazing animal sculptor, Di Francis had tape recordings of big cats calling and had photographic evidence of them living wild on Bodmin moor in Cornwall. I believe she wrote a couple of books on the subject (I'll have to look them now I've been reminded of them, thanks!). Farmers used to report big cat kills regularly, although the cats still seem to be around they have learned to keep away from livestock, or the press is just bored of reporting it. There are many other places in the U.K. that report the same thing.

[G_shepardlover]

I think that wild animals(such as tigers,monkeys,parrots etc)should be left in the wild. Because peoplethink they are cute when they are babiesand when they geye in some other habitat that they don't live in and someone or something could get badly hurt. So people leave the wild animals in there natural habitats!!!

[carrie]

Hi again,
The main point to stress is that wild and domestic are words used for a reason! A few big cats, pumas seem to be the agreed species, have survived the trauma of being "freed". I think you only have to think for a few moments to come to the conclusion that those that survived had already had experience of fending for themselves. In other words illeagally trapped and transported animals.
Take a few more moments to think about other likely species that were "freed" at around the same time. Monkeys and apes were the most popular exotic pet at the time and we have no colonys of either living wild in the UK. Vets prior to the legislation put to sleep more monkeys than any other exotic due to their aggresiveness as they matured. They were also the favourite, as babies, when the law was first implemented. Don't think twice about such an animal as a pet, just don't think about it!!

I have remembered the name of the lion found in a furniture store and later released to the wild in Africa by George Adamson, he was called Christian, make of that what you will.

[carrie]

Very intersting Spencer. The panthers reported to live in the UK are very rarely seen at all and almost never near houses, only a couple of sightings. These animals are probably third or fourth generation wild cats from the originals that escaped/were set free. So it sounds like the one in Texas is pretty happy and relaxed around people and that makes it rather more of a threat to local pets! Let's hope they catch it soon before it causes any trouble for itself, it won't be long before people with guns get to looking for it sadly.