A Hungarian man already under investigation over a tiger cub has run into trouble again after police found a common marmoset in his car.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NNI) is once again investigating the case of a man from Tiszafüred who was found with a tiger cub last year. This time, officers discovered a common marmoset in his car, police.hu reported.
The NNI’s Environmental Crime Unit has been investigating the man on suspicion of damaging nature since November 2025, when a tiger cub believed to have been smuggled into Hungary was found during a search of his home.
The young tiger was initially taken to the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, where it was given the name Pablo. It was later transferred to the Veresegyháza Bear Sanctuary, where it currently lives.
Police find another exotic animal in his car
On 24 September, officers stopped the man during a routin roadside check in Pomáz, a town north of Budapest.
Inside his vehicle, they found another exotic animal: a common marmoset, a small primate native to South America.
According to police, the origin of the animal could not be established because it had no documents proving where it came from and no individual identification marking. Hungarian authorities also said that private individuals are not permitted to keep the animal in Hungary.
“The small monkey, found in a cat carrier in the suspect’s boot during the police operation, appears to be a healthy male based on the initial examination. Following the check-up, Director General and Chief Veterinarian Dr Endre Sós took a faecal sample, after which our colleagues transferred the newcomer to the zoo’s quarantine facility, where he is currently being kept under observation.” – The Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden wrote.
Man placed in pre-trial detention
Investigators questioned the man again as a suspect over the unauthorised keeping of the animal. This time, however, the authorities took further action.
Given that the man was already under investigation over the earlier tiger case, police treated the new discovery as a repeat offence. He was taken into custody, and a court later ordered his pre-trial detention.
The investigation is now examining both exotic-animal cases, including the circumstances in which the marmoset came into his possession.
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Budapest Zoo warns against keeping wild animals as pets
Keeping large predators and other protected or specially regulated exotic animals is subject to strict rules in Hungary, and authorities launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the animal’s arrival in the country.
The Budapest Zoo used the case to underline why wild animals should not be kept as pets. It stressed that proper food and veterinary care are only part of animal welfare: social species also need contact with their own kind and living conditions that reflect their natural behaviour.
A marmoset may appear comfortable around people, the zoo noted, but that does not mean its needs are actually being met.
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