Exotic animals are urgent problem in Northern Ireland

Monkey is found in housing estate

A tamarin monkey from South America has been been recovered from a house in County Armagh.

The black and white monkey, which is on a list of endangered animals, was recovered by the Ulster Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

It was discovered in the Legahory estate, Craigavon.

Stephen Philpott from the USPCA said the government needed to apply legislation surrounding the import of animals.

“The USPCA have being saying for a long time now that the Dangerous Wild Animals Act needs to be applied to Northern Ireland as a matter of extreme urgency,” he said.

“It’s not just from a public safety point of view, it’s an animal welfare point of view as well.

“You need a £5 licence to keep a dog in Northern Ireland, but you can keep a tiger, a puma or a tamarin monkey and answer to nobody.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/5300758.stm