Already on probation for cruelty to animals, man caught with starving and abused monkey

UNITED KINGDOM -- A man is facing jail for causing unnecessary suffering to a marmoset - after he was caught taking it to the pub.

Richard Walton, 32, kept three-year-old Milo in a feces-covered birdcage where he had little daylight and no toys to play with.

After he was rescued, Milo was taken to Monkey World animal sanctuary in
Wareham, Dorset, suffering from rickets but has now recovered

Walton, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, had already been banned from owning animals for two years for neglecting a dog which had claws so overgrown it couldn’t walk.

When he started taking Milo to his local pub on a lead, concerned drinkers informed the RSPCA.

The common marmoset was so badly malnourished and deprived of sunlight that he weighed the same as an orange when he was rescued, and was developing the bone condition rickets.

Milo lived in isolation in his cage apart from when he was taken to the
Portsmouth Arms in Basingstoke, where Walton
would pose with his pet on his shoulder

Instead of feeding him a varied diet of fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, seeds and vitamin-enriched baby food, Walton gave Milo only cherries and grapes.

Walton pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court and will be sentenced in January.

In their natural home in the Brazilian rainforest, marmosets are highly social creatures who mate for life and live in tight-knit family communities.

But Milo lived in isolation in his cage apart from when he was taken to the Portsmouth Arms in Basingstoke, where Walton would pose with his pet on his shoulder.

the cage in which he was kept

The RSPCA was alerted after receiving a tip-off that heavily tattooed Walton had taken him to the pub on at least two occasions.

After he was rescued, Milo was taken to Monkey World animal sanctuary in Wareham, Dorset, where he has now returned to full health.

Director of the sanctuary, Dr Alison Cronin, said: 'In the wild, they come from Brazil and live in extended family groups.

'They are a species of marmoset that mate for life, and almost always have twins, and the male is very important to the family group, because they help care for the infants.

'Milo was starved of the companionship and interaction that marmosets crave.

'They live in very tight family groups and should always live in a social group, no matter what the circumstances.

'Thankfully, he was rescued just in time. He is one of the lucky ones because we got hold of him and saved him while he was relatively young.

'His rehabilitation wasn’t too difficult and he hopefully has a long and happy life ahead of him.'

When Milo was rescued in June, he weighed just 280g but is now up to a healthy 350g.

Milo (pictured) is now living happily at Monkey World - and has
also found love there, with another rescued marmoset called Clydie

He has also found love while at the sanctuary with another rescued marmoset called Clydie.

Dr Cronin criticised the animal traders who are selling the monkeys for upwards of £1,200 with little or no proper care instructions. She said: 'Over the past 18 months, we have collected 25 monkeys from the British pet trade.

'[They carry out] unscrupulous pet deals pushing exotic pets onto the British public who don’t know what these exotic animals need.

'Marmosets are common victims because mothers almost always give birth to twins, who are taken away as babies before the mother’s hormones can change back so she falls pregnant as soon as possible afterwards.'

Sentencing of Walton was adjourned until January 16 pending a psychiatric report.

The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in jail.

(Daily Mail - Dec 9, 2013)