Pilkington United Kingdom, part of the NSG Group, is helping to build a new home for rescued pet marmosets at The Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall.
There are approximately 5,000 primates kept as pets in the UK today, and marmosets are becoming a common victim of this trade. As a result of this, they often suffer from physiological and psychological problems.
Wild Futures, the primate conservation and welfare charity that runs The Monkey Sanctuary, is combating this by raising £70,000 to build a new complex of spacious indoor and outdoor enclosures. These spaces will re-home rescued marmosets from across the UK, providing a stimulating environment with natural vegetation, branches, platforms and hiding places.
To support the build project, Pilkington has donated insulating glass units incorporating Pilkington OptiView Protect. According to Pilkington, this anti-reflective laminated glass will enable carers and visitors to observe the monkeys without any disturbance, as well as providing enhanced safety, security and durability properties.
Garry Parrot, sales manager at Pilkington, said: “Wild Futures is working tirelessly to combat animal cruelty, and its new enclosure will provide a much needed home for rescued marmosets. It’s important that these animals are kept safe, but also that their behaviour can be monitored and observed. Our anti-reflective glass is ideal for use in this situation.”
The sanctuary will help to rehabilitate those rescued from the pet trade by mirroring the marmosets’ natural habitat and allowing them to express instinctive behaviours, while socialising with their own species.
Sarah Hanson, campaigns officer at Wild Futures, added: “Marmosets are intelligent animals who naturally live in groups in the rainforests of South America. These tropical monkeys are the tiniest victims of the UK primate pet trade and are becoming increasingly common.
“We’re doing all that we can to build a new home for these animals and the donation from Pilkington will help us to create an area that not only accommodates the marmosets, but enables us to help raise awareness of the issue. We have more than 25,000 visitors every year and it’s important for people to observe monkeys in a natural environment so they can understand why they shouldn’t be kept as pets.”
For more information about the Marmoset Appeal, please visit www.wildfutures.org
