Exotic pets: What are the rules around keeping primates?
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The new rules will be introduced in 2026, but some people have called for a full ban
The government has announced new rules for people wanting to keep primates - that's animals like orangutans, chimpanzees, lemurs and monkeys.
From 2026, you won't be able to own animals like these without a license.
To get this license, you would have to prove that you've built the right environment for the primate, and that it is being properly looked after.
People who don't follow the rules could have a big fine, or go to jail.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has said the change in the law makes it "practically impossible" for people to keep the animals legally as pets because it's so difficult to meet the needs of monkeys and other primates in a household environment.
Can you keep a primate as a pet in the UK?
In the UK, there's a rule called the Animal Welfare Act. It means that people can't keep animals as pets unless they give them a safe place to live and look after them.
Primates like monkeys and lemurs were included in this. People could keep them as pets as long as they kept to the rules.
Since it was introduced in 2006, the Animal Welfare Act has had lots of updates from the government.
Although these new rules will make it harder for people to keep primates as pets, some people have asked for a full ban.
Baroness Fookes, who used to be in charge of the RSPCA - a charity that looks after and rescues animals - said she wanted to see a full ban. She said she doesn't think humans can provide the right environment for primates by keeping them as pets.
Animal charity Humane Society Internationale said it was "disappointed" that there wasn't a full ban.
How will the new rules work?
It's estimated that up to 5,000 primates are currently kept in homes as pets.
Now people who own the animals will need to make sure it's registered with the government. The government will also check to see if the environment they've made for the primate is good enough.
The rules say that primates need to be kept at "zoo standard" - which means if they're owned as a pet, they need to be looked after like they would in a zoo in the UK.
This means making sure they have the right food, plenty of space to run around, and the right temperatures to keep them happy.
David Bowles from the RSPCA said: "Too often, our dedicated officers are called to properties where monkeys live in the wrong surroundings, eat totally inappropriate diets and are at risk of suffering behind closed doors - This new law has the potential to change that."
Lord Douglas-Miller, an animal welfare minister for the government said: "We are proud to have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, including these new restrictions which will help tackle the inadequate conditions that some of these inquisitive creatures are kept in.
"Anyone who fails to provide the same welfare standards as found in a zoo faces a fine and having the primate removed from their care."
What do you think about keeping animals like monkeys as pets? Let us know in the comments.