Theft of two marmosets in Highlands followed by monkey handed to Fife vets

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/21/theft-marmosets-nairn-highlands-fife-vets-sspca-edinburgh

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A marmoset handed in to a vet’s surgery is being checked to see if it is one of two that were stolen from a garden in the Scottish Highlands at the weekend.

The two common marmosets, a baby aged 11 weeks and another 12 months old, were taken from the Balmakeith drive area of Nairn between 4.30pm and 10.50pm on Saturday.

The theft of the animals, taken from a garden enclosure, happened shortly after a man went to the house offering to clean gutters and expressed an interest in buying the pair. He is described as white, in his late 20s, short, of medium build, with a roundish face, no facial hair, well presented and with no distinctive accent.

An adult marmoset was handed in to a vet’s surgery in Fife by a member of the public, claiming to have found the animal in a shoebox in a layby. The monkey is being cared for by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), in Edinburgh, who have been unable to confirm if it is one of the pair stolen at the weekend.

The eldest of marmosets stolen from Nairn was described as being about 20cm (8in) tall with the adult’s distinctive white fur markings on the tips of the ears. The baby is about 8cm (3in) in height, and is darker in colour with no white markings. People have been warned not to handle the monkeys if found, as the older one could bite or scratch. “Although bred as domestic pets, the monkeys should be considered wild animals which require specialist care and feeding,” said police.

Sarah Gregory, an inspector for the SSPCA, said: “The person reported finding the animal in a layby on the road between Kincardine and High Valleyfield. Unfortunately we have been unable to speak with them ourselves and are appealing to this person to get in touch with us. At this stage we can’t confirm whether this is linked to the two monkeys who were reported stolen in the Inverness area. We are currently working alongside the police and are asking anyone with information to get in touch.”