A reward of up to £3,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction after a monkey was abandoned on a London bus. The female common marmoset, since named Oyster, was discovered on a 302 bus waiting in Kensal Rise, north-west London, on Friday.
Discovery on the Bus
A mother was unable to move her buggy down the aisle because a laundry bag was sticking out of the luggage bay. When the bus driver pushed the bag out of the way, the monkey started chirping and jumping. Oyster had been left with some apple but was stressed and dehydrated, according to the RSPCA.
Reward and Investigation
Animal charity Peta is offering the reward to find whoever abandoned her. Peta vice-president of programmes Elisa Allen said: "We're calling on anyone with information about this case to come forward so that whoever abandoned Oyster can be held accountable before endangering anyone else. Abandoning an animal is an extraordinary betrayal. This monkey deserved care and protection, not to be discarded like rubbish."
Oyster has been checked by a vet and rehomed at a sanctuary. The RSPCA fears this could be the "first of many" abandonments after April's new legislation mandated that all primates kept in England are licensed.
RSPCA Response
Claire Dew, RSPCA London chief inspector, said: "The monkey was inside a small, white, metal bird cage which had been wrapped inside a plastic, chequered laundry bag, with handles, so was well concealed. We'd like to say a big thank you to the bus driver and the team at Metroline who stayed calm, took the monkey back to their station, put her somewhere dark and cool, to keep her calm, and contacted us for help. They've been incredibly helpful and are now assisting with our enquiries so we can trace the person responsible for dumping her."
No one noticed anything unusual before the discovery, but authorities will review CCTV and bus scan logs to locate the person who left her onboard.
