TSKA - Primate Essentials

[TSKA Rory Matier]

We have had a few enquiries of late into the way we advertise and sell primates, so l thought it might help if l display here the Do’s and Don’ts of TSKA primate sales and enquiries.

1] We do advertise primates for private exotic keepers’ client based in United Kingdom

2] We do not sell to anyone less than 18 years of age.

3] We do ask a series of questions regarding experience with animals in general but some of the questions are specific to primates. Our vetting format is designed under the guidance of our client base. There are 19 questions in all, although this format will be increased later this year to include a possible 5 extra questions.

4] We do not sell ‘surrogate children’ which is what sadly some people look upon primates as.

5] We do not sell primates so that they can be harness trained or ‘dressed up like babies’.

6] We do act as intermediaries for our client base, and as such if we say no to a sale it is usually as a direct result of the initial vetting not being suitable.

6] We do offer advice and help to keepers whom genuinely do wish to know about primates and their husbandry.

7] We are not primate keepers ourselves – so a good 50% of our knowledge comes direct from the keepers themselves.

8] We have been selling primates for roughly five years, and it is this experience alone that provides the other 50% of the information concerning primates and their upkeep.

9] We do not sell any primates under the age of 9 months unless it is specifically placed by a client whom is looking for an experienced keeper [primate] to continue the hand rearing process. But the latter is rare.

10] We do not approve the use of oversized parrot cages for primate enclosures.

11] We do prefer for all novice keepers to be able to show to us and our clients that they have bothered to undertake serious research into the ownership of a primate.

12] We do recommend minimum sized enclosures for primates in measurement, and do have sized grids for primates and their keeping.

13] We do have available care guides, photos and research links for novice and experienced primate keepers alike.

14] We do constantly refer back to our client base for advice on difficult questions regarding primates, husbandry and upkeep.

15] We do have a resident primatologist consultant on board the consultants of TSKA.


16] We do ask very specific questions regarding primate licensing where it is essential in so far as DWAL and PL coverage. And we do request copies of this licensing to be presented to either ourselves or our clients.

17] We do offer advice on how to secure the right licensing and public liability coverage for keepers looking into securing primates still under licence.

18] We do ask for either blue prints to enclosure layouts and photos verifying enclosures.

19] We do like to visit clients primates and their enclosures so that we have an understanding of the clients requirements for their animals rights and needs.

20] We do turn down more applications for primate purchases than most people might think. And yes, we are slated both openly and in a hostile fashion for doing so.

21] We do advertise more primates than we sell and since the vetting protocol was installed two years l do now sell less primates than other advertisers may do.

22] We are considered hard and strict in the vetting procedure, but we do so in the confidences that our clients wish us to be.

23] We do work in a two fold commission structure, either our clients pay us direct or we place upon a commission percentage of either 15% on clients of TSKA or 25% from non TSKA clients.

24] We do ask of potential primate keepers if they will allow either ourselves or our clients to view their enclosures.

25] We are the first line of the potential sale, if the applicant is successful our clients will have very specific questions for the potential buyer for their primates, so the vetting continues.

26] We do see primates as a politically sensitive species.

27] We sadly now must treat all new applicants as possible anti group applications as we are often under direct contact from those trying to oppose our vetting protocol.But all responses are always polite. Out of every ten applications, l have noticed in the last six months, that three are from anti primate groups.

28] We do not send primates out by post.

29] We do not always request money up front unless our client has requested this. In most cases, the potential buyer will have an appointment to view the keepers primates and then if the sale is successful we are paid directly by our client.

30] We do not overprice the primates, we do ask our clients to be realistic in their assessment of the prices of their primates, but primate keepers are emotionally attached to their primates and as such this is sometimes reflected in their prices.

31] We do still vet potential keepers after recently lifted DWAL species [October 1st 2007] like they are still licensed.

32] We do not support the DWAL primate removals of and indeed would have preferred for all primates to be placed upon the licence. But if the applicant does show the right knowledge, experience, researching and understanding of the species, we usually do pass them and their details along to our clients.

33] We do have 2 out of 10 success ratios of primate applications.

34] Finally, our clients have the last say on a potential keeper applicant – if they say no, we must say no.

I hope that this helps those who may be thinking of buying primates in the future.
Rory Matier
TSKA

Oh yes:

35] We DO NOT view primates as pets!

[Esarosa]

Personally I think it's great that you're so strict in the vetting process..far to many people after them as 'cute cuddly' pets or child substitutes.

Alot of suppliers don't care about whom they go to it'd seem..having seen some peoples enclosures it's nice that you do.. top marks for TSKA

[TSKA Rory Matier]

Thanks.

I have to be honest, l am constantly reviewing the Do's and Don'ts myself, and my clients are always requesting new points.

This is the first time l have actually written it like this and am now about to place it into the website formerly, alongside a couple of points l missed out in the first post.

We do support primate keeping in the United Kingdom, much as many people think we do not, but we do.

TSKA believe that all keepers have got the right/s to keep exotics but to do so properly, the right husbandry, the right enclosures, diet, stimulation etc, and this is not just down to primate care, but all exotics species.

R

[TSKA Rory Matier]

I think l have now got it all down, so anyone wishing to pass comment or offer any other suggestions, l would be grateful.

TSKA - Rainbow Market Management -- Exotic Species Consultancy Services

Many Thanks

Rory Matier

[eowyn]

All seems perfectly clear, sensible and reasonable to me and someone who is serious about primate keeping should have no problem with any of it.

Quite a lot of grammatical errors tho, do you want those pointed out / fixed?

xx

[TSKA Rory Matier]

Thankyou,

Am in the edit now correcting grammar.

Cheers

Rory