09 January 2024 , 12:23
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Residents of a quiet village have been left scratching their heads after multiple sightings of a monkey wandering the streets.
Members of the rural community of Whiteshead on the outskirts of Stroud, Gloucestershire, took to social media in confusion and concern after reportedly spotting the primate.
The alarm was first raised by a local resident, who posted on the Whiteshill & Ruscombe Community group on Facebook: "Strange question, but is anyone looking for a lost monkey?!"
"Seen walking down across the fields from Whiteshill to the main road". My mother in law who also saw it and grew up in India thinks it's a spectacled langur".
Several people were quick to dismiss the claims, but she was not the only person to see the furry runaway.
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A villager reported the monkey sighting on the Whiteshill & Ruscombe Community group on Facebook (No credit)Another villager said they saw it "running north away from Stroud heading towards Painswick" - while others have shown worry for the animal wandering around in "such freezing conditions". Wildlife expert and documentary filmmaker Tim Whittard said it was rare but not the first time this has happened.
The sightings were reported in the rural community of Whiteshead on the outskirts of Stroud, Gloucestershire (Google Street View)He added: "A monkey was filmed running freely around an area of woodland near Canterbury, Kent in January of 2022, and around 15 years ago in the Forest of Dean several eye-witnesses saw a pair of monkeys which had escaped from a private collection. Many people may not realise that there are 85 species of monkey which can be legally purchased in Britain, without a license – as easily as a goldfish or hamster".
Plans for a new Animal Welfare Bill will if passed make it much more difficult to legally own these animals as pets. The RSPCA currently estimates that there may as many as 5000 monkeys being kept as pets across the UK.
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