Wealthy China folks turn to black market for thumb-sized monkeys

In conjunction with Chinese New Year's Year of the Monkey, wealthy China folks are spending thousands of US dollars just to own pygmy marmoset as pets.

Known as the smallest monkeys in the world, pygmy marmosets are sold illegally for US $4,000 (RM16,000) to the rich citizens of China, as accessories and pets.

These little primates weigh less than an iPhone and called thumb-sized monkeys or finger-monkeys because of their tiny size.

These cute little creatures are taking China’s black market by storm, as the citizens consider pygmy marmosets as the most luxurious gifts for this year.

But according to People's Daily, this has become a major issue as these marmosets are highly endangered. In fact, they are not native to China.

They are found in regions of South America, such as the Amazon. Therefore, they have to be transported over to China to be sold as pets.

According to an expert, the transfer process can be highly stressful to these animals, often causing them to die.


Pygmy marmosets require special care, lots of attention, and need to be bred so they don’t die off.

Therefore, people are urged to not buy these thumb-sized monkeys illegally as it will only harm the animals.