I’m a vet and this is why you should NEVER keep a baby monkey as a pet

A British vet has spoken out about why he believes monkeys should never be kept as pets.

Content creator @ben.the.vet shared his expertise in a video on TikTokwhere he has over 206,000 followers.

In the clip, he explained how many monkeys end up becoming pets – and also why they are not suitable for domestic homes.

Speaking in his videoBen says, “I’m a vet and I want to talk about why having a monkey as a pet is an absolutely terrible idea.”

He continues to explain that he has experience volunteering with animals and learning about their needs.

Ben continues, “I volunteered a couple of years ago at a wildlife rehabilitation center in the rainforest in Ecuador and a lot of the animals brought in were monkeys.”

According to the vet, these monkeys “would be taken from the wild by wildlife poachers – often shooting the mother, so they could take the baby more easily.”

Then, he explains, the Ecuadorian authorities will intercept some of these monkeys that were destined to be sold abroad.

“This was usually in the United States, as pets,” he says, adding: “for a lot of money.”

When it comes to why it’s not a good idea to keep a monkey as a pet, Ben explains that: “A monkey is not the same as a human child.”

“And it’s not the same as keeping a cat or a dog as a pet.”

He adds that monkeys “are not domesticated animals, they are very intelligent wild animals.”

“They keep them as pets,” he explains, “it’s extremely difficult to meet their needs.”

He concludes the video by saying, “Talk to any veterinarian or animal welfare organization and they will say that monkeys should not be kept as pets.”

Most of the respondents in the comment sections agreed with their opinions, adding that they also feel that keeping monkeys as pets is a bad idea for animals.

One wrote: “Thank you for highlighting an important subject as so many primates are kept as pets in the UK #Primatesarenotpets”

To which, Ben replied that around 5,000 primates are thought to be kept as pets in the UK.

Another viewer added: “As a biology student I can’t even fathom how anyone can have the idea of ​​keeping a wild animal as a pet. I’m just speechless.