A monkey abandoned in a laundry bag on a north London bus has found a happy-ever-after.
The female marmoset, affectionately named Oyster after the travel card, was left in a cage which its owner had covered with the laundry bag and put on the luggage rack of the 302 bus on Friday morning.
Oyster was discovered by the driver who went to help a mother struggling to get her pram past the bag in the aisle.
It had been left with an apple but was dehydrated and badly stressed when it was found “chirping and jumping” around its cage.
The driver, who had just arrived at their final stop in Kensal Rise before midday, took the monkey back to the bus depot in Willesden and alerted the RSPCA.
In a twist of fate, a specialist primate sanctuary was already looking for a female marmoset to accompany a lone male it was caring for.
“It seemed like destiny that Oyster was meant to go there,” said Clare Dew, an RSPCA chief inspector.
It is feared the abandonment was the result of new legislation that requires all primates kept in England to be licensed.
The new regulations, which came into force in April, raised concerns that irresponsible owners would abandon their pets because of the costs associated with the licences.
Evie Button, an exotic animals expert at the RSPCA, said: “The introduction of primate licences in England is an important step forward for animal welfare, helping to ensure these animals are kept in more appropriate conditions, but there is a real concern that keepers who cannot or do not want to license their pet may instead abandon them.
“With the UK Government estimating that 5,000 primates are kept as pets in England, we’re concerned about what has happened to many of these animals.”
Ms Dew added: “Anyone who is struggling to care for a pet or who cannot get a licence for any primate they own, please speak to specialists, vets or charities.
“Don’t abandon them, as it can have tragic consequences.”
Anyone who saw someone carrying the chequered laundry bag can contact the RSPCA’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018.