Monkey found abandoned in laundry bag on London bus

A monkey found abandoned in a laundry bag on a London bus has had a happy ending after being rehomed to a sanctuary.

The "terrified" female common marmoset was discovered on a 302 bus waiting in Kensal Rise, northwest London, on Friday.

A mother had been unable to move her buggy down the walkway because the laundry bag was sticking out of the luggage bay.

When the driver pushed the bag out of the way, the monkey, since named Oyster, started "chirping and jumping".

It is feared to be the "first of many" abandonments after April's new legislation mandated all primates kept in England are licensed, the RSCPA said.

"It was clearly intentional," said RSPCA London chief investigator Clare Dew, who is leading its probe.

"This is clearly a direct result of the new legislation and is something we feared would happen. I'd be surprised if it's the last primate we see being dumped."

The "frightened marmoset" was well concealed in the laundry bag, Ms Dew said, adding: "She'd been left with some apple but was, understandably, very stressed and dehydrated."

Monkey has 'settled in really well'

The driver took the monkey to the Metroline Bus Depot at Willesden bus station and raised the alarm. The route serves Mill Hill Broadway Station to Kensal Rise.

Ms Dew thanked the bus driver and Metroline team "who stayed calm, took the monkey back to their station, put her somewhere dark and cool, to keep her calm, and contacted us for help."

Oyster, who is healthy and living in a sanctuary with specialist primate facilities, had not been microchipped, which is required under the new law.

Ms Dew added: "In a twist of fate, a sanctuary had been working with us to find a suitable female marmoset to introduce to a lone male they were caring for.

"We were hoping to transfer one from the north of England but, when that fell through just a few hours before Oyster was rescued, it looked like destiny that Oyster was supposed to go there.

"She's settled in really well over the weekend, and is eating well, so hopefully she'll be able to meet her new friend soon. If she isn't claimed then she'll remain there with experienced keepers, a wonderful enclosure and company."

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RSPCA working to identify person who dumped animal

The driver and Metroline staff are helping the RSPCA trace the person responsible for dumping the monkey.

"No one noticed anything unusual on the bus before the monkey was discovered, but we'll be looking at CCTV and the logs for scanning on and off the bus to see if we can locate the person who left her onboard," the investigator said.

"But what we would say to anyone who is struggling to care for a pet or who cannot get a licence for any primate they have, please speak to specialists, vets or charities; don't abandon them as it can have tragic consequences."

Some 5,000 primates are kept as pets in England, according to government estimates.

The RSPCA handled 238 reports of primate neglect and cruelty between 2021 and 2025.

(c) Sky News 2026: Monkey found abandoned in laundry bag on London bus