I could imagine several reasons why you might think this is scary.
I am curious as to what they would be exactly?
Surely if they have the money and passion to keep a primate. They would look after them also not letting them escape!
Primates in Private Hands
- Thread starter zooman
- Start date
I could imagine several reasons why you might think this is scary.
I am curious as to what they would be exactly?
Surely if they have the money and passion to keep a primate. They would look after them also not letting them escape!
ZYBen
Well-Known Member
Ask and you shall recieve.
Maybe this is just how i think, but hear me out.
I think if the Government wanted to legalise the keeping of primates in private hands they would go to ARAZPA for guidance/advice, they'd be stupid not to, they deal the institutions with the bulk of primates in the country.
What would they say?
I think a straight out NO!
Why go to the Zoo if you can have a monkey in your backyard (or neighbours, or zoochatters)!
Oh and yes i do know some ZooChatters have a few primates including Macaques and Marmosets
Maybe this is just how i think, but hear me out.
I think if the Government wanted to legalise the keeping of primates in private hands they would go to ARAZPA for guidance/advice, they'd be stupid not to, they deal the institutions with the bulk of primates in the country.
What would they say?
I think a straight out NO!
Why go to the Zoo if you can have a monkey in your backyard (or neighbours, or zoochatters)!
Oh and yes i do know some ZooChatters have a few primates including Macaques and Marmosets
Oh and yes i do know some ZooChatters have a few primates including Macaques and Marmosets
I am curious what sort of numbers are you refering to with both species?
I agree with zooman, why not keep primates providng you have the money and do it correctly. One of the best zoos in the world started as a private colelction 
I think Marmosets are quite common pets in the UK, and I don't think Meerkats are uncommon either as you don't need a licence for either of these species.
I think Marmosets are quite common pets in the UK, and I don't think Meerkats are uncommon either as you don't need a licence for either of these species.
I would hate to think what meerkats let loose in Australia would do to the enviroment. Dam rabitts and there burrow holes for 1 thing are a constant concern when horse riding in the bush. I figure Meerkats would cause similiar damage.
I belive there are wild populations of meerkats across the Uk. Even Chester lost some to the paddoks next door l belive.
ZYBen
Well-Known Member
Steve Robinson has 2 species of Macaques and Marmosets, aswell as baboons.
Jo (whens she's on) works with a private Zoo colony of Capuchins
And i had heard a couple of UK members say they had a Marmoset.
When i made that comment it was more of a joke at the end
There is a big difference between primates in privately-owned zoos (of which there are hundreds) and those owned by private individuals who do not have a zoo licence. There are very few primates in Australia that are owned by private individuals, and are not ex circus or in private zoos.
If one wishes to regulate the trade ever, one requires 3 components:
a) effective border controls and trained staff to identify taxa
b) effective penalties for illegal capture and maintenance
c) effective confiscation procedures and relocation programme for the confiscated stocks
d) regulation in-house and inland regarding private management and maintenance of wildlife and plants.
None of those issues are effectively met within Australia under Biosecurity guidelines (I left out the vet health issues as these are over-met out there). I find it particularly sad and disheartening that any confiscated stocks of endangered or any other taxa are nowadays routinely euthanised and not relocated into breeding programmes or zoos or quarantaine/holding facilities.
If I were the judge of this procedure I would term it a crime against mankind (as custodians of our Earth).
Now, all my fellow - well loved - Aussies posters may fall over my comments in the thread - pse be advised it is not personal - it is face-value, no-nonsense criticism of the present situation at your shores.
I would be only gueng nd maybe Steve could confirm. But I would say that border controls in Australia are incredibly strict one for the country as a whole and patrolling state borders would be nearly impossible given the size.
This is only a guess but I would say that the majority of primates kept illegally are born from generations bred within our Australian Borders. Making it harder to prevent them changing hands.
There are literally hundreds of animals in research facilities in Australia and although these are at recognised and licensed facilities some are owned by the individuals conducting the research. If that makes any sense.
But ZooPro is right in that there are very few legally kept primates in private hands outside these. But who knows how many are out there illegally. . .
There are 100's really?
I know of a couple have heard rumours of a few more but hundreds!
I would assume that the term "privately owned zoo" is very broad.
Or am l just out of the loop!
HATE THAT!!
Jarkari,
I am not advocating the private keeping of all primates. I was rather thinking of a licensing system to allow for wildlife management through registration of individual exotic and native species in private hands. Similar rules would apply as do with the Zoo and Wild Animal Act that regulates zoological institutions that include minimum maintenance and husbandry standards.
What bugs me is that in most countries these systems do not exist and hence the serious private animal keeping fraternity is left out in the cold, whereas rogue wildlife traders and laypeople take on wildlife they do not know zilch about or even care (it is either for profit or a whimsical nature to own an exotic pet/pets). This is neither in the interest of good animal keeping standards nor does it effectively put a stop to the illegal wildlife trade.
I come back to the point that all individual countries have an obligation to provide a safehouse to confiscated wildlife - both native and exotics - and this requires adequate funding and maintenance facilities. We often complain about Third World countries where it concerns the illegal wildlife trade, yet we ourselves fail miserably to take on our judicial obligations and also fail miserably on the financial and prison penalties for any infringements. Again, I find it a travesty of justice that confiscated wildlife anywhere is either "humanely" euthanised or killed on the spot (that is not just an Australian travesty of justice, it happens in continental EU too).
Shame on us!
I am not advocating the private keeping of all primates. I was rather thinking of a licensing system to allow for wildlife management through registration of individual exotic and native species in private hands. Similar rules would apply as do with the Zoo and Wild Animal Act that regulates zoological institutions that include minimum maintenance and husbandry standards.
What bugs me is that in most countries these systems do not exist and hence the serious private animal keeping fraternity is left out in the cold, whereas rogue wildlife traders and laypeople take on wildlife they do not know zilch about or even care (it is either for profit or a whimsical nature to own an exotic pet/pets). This is neither in the interest of good animal keeping standards nor does it effectively put a stop to the illegal wildlife trade.
I come back to the point that all individual countries have an obligation to provide a safehouse to confiscated wildlife - both native and exotics - and this requires adequate funding and maintenance facilities. We often complain about Third World countries where it concerns the illegal wildlife trade, yet we ourselves fail miserably to take on our judicial obligations and also fail miserably on the financial and prison penalties for any infringements. Again, I find it a travesty of justice that confiscated wildlife anywhere is either "humanely" euthanised or killed on the spot (that is not just an Australian travesty of justice, it happens in continental EU too).
Shame on us!
I have had the good fortune to visit a very well-off lady in the outer suburbs/northern hills of Sydney who owns (or did when I visited nearly 9 years ago) a number of rhesus, pigtail, long-tail and stump-tailed macaques and two spider monkeys. She have a wonderful set-up of meshed enclosures in extensive grounds, and lavished more care than the average zoo (even had a part-time keeper). A number were ex-lab animals but definitely some were ex-Taronga (or descendents through second parties, ie Notre Dame).
I was given her contact details through a group called 'Primates for Primates', who are concerned about general care of husbandry of primates in Australia. Not all involved are dead-set against the actual keeping of primates, as one might first think.
I was given her contact details through a group called 'Primates for Primates', who are concerned about general care of husbandry of primates in Australia. Not all involved are dead-set against the actual keeping of primates, as one might first think.
In privately owned zoos? Yes, hundreds. Here's just a few privately-owned zoos in Australia that hold primates:
Gorge Wildlife Park
National Zoo and Aquarium
Symbio Wildlife Park
Darling Downs Zoo
Mogo Zoo
Alma Park Zoo
Halls Gap Zoo
Australia Zoo
Crocodylus Park
And no doubt many smaller places that have macaques, capuchins and some marmosets.
Some posters seem to be having difficulty making the distinction between privately owned zoos and privately owned primates.
ZooPro has listed a number of the privately owned zoos that hold primates.
tetrapod has referred to a woman who privately owns primates but is not a zoo. She, and a number of other people in NSW, legally hold primates under legislation known in that State as the Non Indigenous Animals Act. Some of these people hold a surprising number of primates.
Some people, particularly in States other than NSW, hold a limited number of primates under amnesty arrangements. Some of these people, in Victoria particularly, use animals for filming and perhaps for the Agricultural Show appearances referred to by a previous poster.
A fourth group of people are the worry. They are the ones who illegally hold primates. There are a surprising number of them out there.
ZooPro has listed a number of the privately owned zoos that hold primates.
tetrapod has referred to a woman who privately owns primates but is not a zoo. She, and a number of other people in NSW, legally hold primates under legislation known in that State as the Non Indigenous Animals Act. Some of these people hold a surprising number of primates.
Some people, particularly in States other than NSW, hold a limited number of primates under amnesty arrangements. Some of these people, in Victoria particularly, use animals for filming and perhaps for the Agricultural Show appearances referred to by a previous poster.
A fourth group of people are the worry. They are the ones who illegally hold primates. There are a surprising number of them out there.
You'd be guessing correct. Damn near impossible to bring a primate into the country except on a boat trying to slip in unnoticed. And those people aren't bringing in primates.
Hix
She does go a bit overboard, though.
Cups of tea with bikkies and scones is not good primate nutrition!
Electus Parrot
Well-Known Member
I know this isn't about privately held primates but with the privately owned exotic reptiles I heard that Australia Zoo got one of their green iguanas from a private breeder, just thought I'd say it. Also I know someone who nearly acquired a capuchin from a private breeder.
She does go a bit overboard, though.
Cups of tea with bikkies and scones is not good primate nutrition!
I wasn't aware of this when i visited, but it wouldn't surprise me. All of the primates looked in great nick, though the stumpies were a little miserable-looking (mind you as a species goes they all seem to...). The younger of the two pig-tails was a superb male, and I felt at the time it was a real pity the species has been largely phased out of collections because it is 'common'.