Mystery monkey found in woman's conservatory

A mystery marmoset monkey that found its way into a woman’s conservatory is now being cared for by an animal rescue centre.

The volunteer team at Wings and Paws got a call earlier this month from a woman in Wolverhampton who said she had found a wild animal in her house.

“From what she said, we thought it was just a squirrel,” said volunteer Gemma Warner.

The team were “taken aback” when they arrived and found a monkey sitting on a countertop, she added.

Volunteer Gemma Warner said Marcel liked to sit on volunteers’ laps and groom their hair “in order to make friends”

The team have since named the marmoset Marcel and have been, they report, won over by his gentle nature.

Ms Warner said Marcel was extremely friendly and liked to sit on volunteers’ laps and groom their hair “in order to make friends”.

His tame nature suggested he was a pet, rather than a zoo animal, and his owners had probably “dumped or released” him as he was no longer wanted, she added.

The woman who called the centre had seen Marcel in her garden in the days before he somehow got into her house.

South America

Marmosets are native to South America and it is legal in the UK to keep them as pets, but the RSPCA advises against it because they need a warm climate and lots of stimulation.

Wings and Paws, which is based in Wolverhampton but covers the whole of the West Midlands, has tried to find Marcel’s owners but no one has come forward.

They are now considering where Marcel can live in the longer term. Ms Warner said their options included building a special enclosure so they could keep the monkey, or finding another centre that would be well-suited for him.

“We don’t want him to become another pet in a cage,” Ms Warner explained.