A London bus driver found a female common marmoset hidden inside a small cage wrapped in a checkered laundry bag in the luggage bay of a route 302 bus. The animal, nicknamed "Oyster," was stressed, dehydrated and unchipped; she has since been rehomed to a specialist primate sanctuary. The RSPCA links the abandonment to new primate licensing rules that took full effect in England on 6 April 2026, and investigators are reviewing CCTV and passenger tap records to identify who left the marmoset.
Bus Driver Rescues Abandoned Marmoset Hidden in Laundry Bag on London Bus
Image Credit: RSPCA
A northwest London bus driver discovered a live monkey hidden inside a laundry bag on board his vehicle on Friday morning. The animal was a female common marmoset confined in a small white metal bird cage that had been wrapped in a checkered plastic laundry bag with handles and left in the bus's luggage bay.
According to the BBC, the bag was blocking the aisle on a route 302 service toward the end of its run from Mill Hill Broadway to Kensal Rise. A mother with a stroller could not pass because the bag protruded into the walkway; when the driver moved it to help, the creature inside began chirping and jumping. He looked inside and found the marmoset still in her cage.
The unnamed driver took the animal to the Metroline depot at Willesden bus station, where staff placed her somewhere dark and cool to keep her calm and then contacted the RSPCA. Clare Dew, the charity's chief inspector for London, told CNN the monkey had been left with some apples and arrived stressed and dehydrated. No one on the bus had noticed anything suspicious until the bag was opened.
Saved and Rehomed
Depot staff have nicknamed the marmoset "Oyster," after the contactless travel card used on London public transport. The RSPCA says Oyster has since been assessed as healthy and transferred to a sanctuary with specialist primate facilities. She had not been microchipped, a requirement introduced under the new primate licensing rules that took effect in England in April.
Investigation and Wider Context
Inspector Clare Dew is leading the investigation. The RSPCA says the abandonment appears to have been intentional and has linked the incident to the introduction of the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024, which took full effect on 6 April 2026. The charity had warned that some owners might abandon primates after the rules changed.
Investigators plan to review CCTV footage and passenger tap-on/tap-off records to try to identify who left the bag on the bus. Dew thanked the driver and Metroline staff for keeping Oyster calm and contacting the RSPCA, and urged anyone struggling to care for a pet primate—or unable to obtain a licence—to seek help from specialists, veterinarians, or charities instead of abandoning the animal.
Expert Note: Evie Button, the RSPCA's exotic animals expert, reminded the public that primates are intelligent, social wild animals requiring space, mental stimulation and suitable companions; human company alone is not sufficient.
Primate Licensing Rules
The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 require anyone keeping a primate in England to hold a licence from their local authority. The regulations set welfare standards comparable to those for licensed zoos, covering enclosures, diet, enrichment, social housing, temperature control and veterinary care.
Licences last up to three years and include at least one inspection during that period and reassessment before renewal. Penalties for keeping a primate without a licence include an unlimited fine, removal of the animal and up to six months in prison. Before these rules, marmosets were not covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, so owners did not previously need a licence. The RSPCA estimates roughly 5,000 primates are kept privately in the UK.
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