Reward of Up to £3,000 Offered After Marmoset Dumped on Bus

Kensal Rise, London – PETA is offering a reward of up to £3,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for dumping a marmoset on a bus in Northwest London. According to reports, the marmoset, who has been named Oyster, was suffering from stress and dehydration when she was found abandoned inside a laundry bag by a driver on a number 302 bus at Kensal Rise bus station on Friday morning (17 July). Oyster received a veterinary check-up and has been rehomed at a sanctuary.

“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,” says PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen. “Abandoning an animal is an extraordinary betrayal. This monkey deserved care and protection, not to be discarded like rubbish.”

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – notes that in nature, marmosets live in troops with a home range roughly the size of five professional football pitches. But in the exotic pet trade, many suffer neglect and abuse, or perish from the trauma of being trapped and removed from their natural environment. Because guardians are often unprepared or unable to provide for animals who are so far removed from their natural habitats, many animals are at risk of dying prematurely or being abandoned.

The RSPCA is urging anyone with firsthand information about the incident to call its appeals line on 0300 123 8018.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” – points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a monkey is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.

Contact:

Lucy Watson +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]

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