Action to improve the welfare of primates is a step closer today, following the launch of a call for evidence which will inform the case for banning these animals being kept as pets.

Primates are a group of mammals which includes lemurs, monkeys and apes. The latest estimate from the RSPCA is that approximately 4,000-5,000 primates are currently kept as pets in the UK.

Primates have complex welfare and social needs, which those in favour of banning people from keeping them as pets say cannot be met in a domestic environment. It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to keep a primate while not providing for their welfare needs or to cause them unnecessary suffering.