An investigation by the Daily Mail's Jane Fryer examines the growing trend, fuelled by TikTok, of people keeping exotic animals such as marmosets as pets, and warns of the dangers this poses to both the animals and the public. The piece was prompted by the case of Oyster, a marmoset abandoned on a bus, and highlights how some owners who tire of or cannot cope with unusual pets resort to abandoning or even killing them, including reports of animals being flushed down toilets.

The article argues that social media has glamorised ownership of primates and other exotic species, encouraging impulsive purchases by people unprepared for the specialist care, cost and legal complications involved. It suggests that when owners become overwhelmed, the animals often suffer neglect, abandonment or cruel disposal, while the animals themselves can also pose health and safety risks to the humans around them.