Infant chimpanzee illegally advertised for sale on Maltapark

An infant female chimpanzee is being illegally advertised for sale on Maltapark.

The ape is illegally being advertised by user wernermaserkopf, who has also listed other apes such as baby baboons, marmoset monkeys, and even capuchin monkeys.

Maltapark is a classifieds portal, offering a platform for users to buy, sell, and rent properties, cars, and find job opportunities, operating as a comprehensive online marketplace for the Maltese public.

The user asks those interested to contact him via email, or through Whatsapp on a Maltese number which will not be reproduced in this article.

The selling of live animals in Malta is only allowed if the seller has a valid pet shop licence, despite the practice being widely overlooked by the authorities.

But under the 2016 Owning and Keeping of Dangerous Animals Regulations, monkeys are considered as dangerous animals, making their ownership without a valid zoo licence illegal.

The classification is due to strength, aggression, or zoonotic diseases, as well as their complex social, dietary, and environmental needs that cannot be easily met in private homes.

User wernermaserkopf is also selling other animals which are classified as dangerous such as tigers, cheetah, Bengal and Siberian tiger cubs.

The user also has a number of designer cats like Spinx, Balinese and shorthair kittens.

Others animals like parrots and dogs are also available for sale from the user.

Last year government announced new rules which regulate breeding, zoo enclosures and safety practices at these establishments and the animals they house.