Primate licensing law welcomed by keeper

LAW WILL FIND THOSE WHO DO NOT LOOK AFTER ANIMALS

- By JOE LOCKER Local Democracy Reporter

A NEW law designed to ensure that primates kept privately are fully licensed by their council has been welcomed by a Nottinghamshire exotic animal keeper.

From April 6, it will be a legal requirement for people privately keeping primates to hold a licence issued by their council.

A licence was previously only required for zoos, businesses carrying out prescribed activities involving animals, or for keepers of defined dangerous wild animals.

Primates include new world monkeys such as marmosets and spider monkeys, old world monkeys including macaques, wet-nosed primates such as lemurs, as well as the larger great apes like orangutans.

Reece Oliver, who has an enclosure in Strelley, in Broxtowe borough, keeps a number of primates alongside his lions.

His primates include lemurs and squirrel monkeys.