01 June 2026: Animal welfare groups urge Awesome Cargo to stop transporting monkeys from Mauritius

Animal Welfare groups have written to Mr Luis Ramos, the CEO and Founder of Awesome Cargo, a charter cargo airline based in Mexico, urging the airline to stop transporting monkeys from Mauritius for the animal research and toxicity testing industry. In what is believed to be the first monkey transport from Mauritius by Awesome Cargo, the plight of hundreds of long-tailed macaques arriving as cargo at Miami International Airport was brought to the attention of Action for Primates by a whistleblower who shared video footage of monkeys inside crates being loaded onto trucks at the airport on 19 May 2026.

In their letter, Action for Primates, Monkey Massacre in Mauritius and Cheshire Animal Rights Campaigns highlight the many compelling reasons why airlines should not be involved in the global trade in non-human primates, including concerns for animal welfare, wildlife conservation and human safety:

• compelling new evidence of what happens to long-tailed macaques in testing laboratories, including harrowing video footage that has revealed the shocking plight of macaques subjected to highly invasive procedures in regulatory toxicity tests in contract testing facilities (Animals International, 2026); a public outcry followed the publication of the images in the UK Daily Mail newspaper in which it was revealed that macaques have been used to test new weight loss drugs. (Tom Kelly, Daily Mail);
• the negative welfare issues surrounding the shipping of non-human primates that cannot be remedied by regulations; confined inside small crates and subjected to air and ground transit times that can be extremely long, the monkeys may have to endure inadequate ventilation, noise, extreme temperature fluctuations and delays; illness, injury and death can also take place (Dalton & Colley, 2021, The Independent);
• the conservation status of the long-tailed macaque, which has been increased to Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species; the assessment is based on the current degree of exploitation of the species, driven in particular by the global trade in long-tailed macaques for laboratory use (Hansen et al 2022);
• Mauritius is the world's largest exporter of wild-caught monkeys, with over 4,000 of these individuals sent to laboratories in the USA during 2022; the capture of monkeys from the wild unavoidably causes substantial suffering for the monkeys and is inherently inhumane; (IPS, 2021);
• unscrupulous aspects of the global long-tailed macaque supply industry which were exposed following a US Fish and Wildlife Service investigation into monkey trafficking; it was revealed that wild long-tailed macaques in Cambodia were being falsely labelled as captive-bred for export to the USA; such findings also raise concerns regarding the origin of macaques generally and the validity of claims about captive breeding in other countries; (IRS, 2022);
• the increasing scientific recognition that, because of biological differences between humans and other primates, as well as the unnatural conditions in which animals must live in the laboratory, the results of such research cannot be safely or reliably extrapolated to humans; there is a global move to transition away from animal testing and towards modern, humane and human-relevant science, including in the USA;
• the international transport of monkeys is not only a serious moral issue, but also represents a grave threat to public health and safety; spread of disease from non-human primates to people (zoonotic disease) is a potentially serious issue, primarily for those who are in close contact with the primates, such as airlines workers; two current examples of serious zoonotic disease are tuberculosis and shigellosis; and
• the transportation by airlines of monkeys is an issue that invokes strong public concern; as a result, many airlines have ended their involvement in this cruel business, including Air France, a previous major transporter of long-tailed macaques from Mauritius to the USA and Europe.

Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, stated: We appeal to Awesome Cargo to end its involvement in this inhumane trade in monkeys' lives, and to join the many airlines and cargo carriers that have already made this decision by placing an embargo on the transportation of monkeys.

For further information, please contact: info@actionforprimates.org

Cited information:

Animals International 2026: https://toxicity.inc/

Dalton, Jane and Colley, Claire 2021-11-19 "Monkeys flown to US for lab tests die on board plane" The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/monkeys-lab-test-experiment-flight-us-asia-b1960455.html

FDA 2026-03-18 "FDA Releases Draft Guidance on Alternatives to Animal Testing in Drug Development" https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-releases-draft-guidance-alternatives-animal-testing-drug-development

Hansen, M.F.; Ang, A.; Trinh, T.; Sy, E.; Paramasiwam, S.; Ahmed, T.; Dimalibot, J.; Jones-Engel, L.; Ruppert, N.; Griffioen, C.; Lwin, N.; Phiapalath, P.; Gray, R.; Kite, S.; Doak, N.; Nijman, V.; Fuentes, A. and Gumert, M.D. 2022-07-01 "Macaca fascicularis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T12551A199563077" International Union for Conservation of Nature https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12551/221666136

Kelly, Tom, 2026-04-18 "The monkeys force-fed to test fat jabs... " The Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15745129/Pictured-monkeys-force-fed-test-fat-jabs-Screaming-agony-pictures-expose-barbaric-cruelty-UK-laboratories-shames-weight-loss-industry.html

International Primatological Society (IPS) 2021-01-01 "Trade in Primates Captured in the Wild" International Primatological Society http://www.internationalprimatologicalsociety.org/policy-statements-and-guidelines/trade-in-primates-captured-in-the-wild/

IRS 2022-11-16 "Cambodian officials and six co-conspirators indicted for taking part in primate smuggling scheme" Internal Revenue Service https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/cambodian-officials-and-six-co-conspirators-indicted-for-taking-part-in-primate-smuggling-scheme

Jiang, Xinjie; Fan, Zhenyu; Li, Shijia and Yin, Haichang 2023-01-18 "A Review on Zoonotic Pathogens Associated with Non-Human Primates: Understanding the Potential Threats to Humans" Microorganisms 11(2):246 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc9964884/

PeTA, May 2026: Shigella in the U.S. Primate Research Pipeline: A Persistent Reservoir With Pathways for Spillover and Drug Resistance: https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-shigella-report-with-exhibits.pdf

TopTV Mauritius 2023-07-05 "Des cas de tuberculose détectés au Michigan chez des primates en provenance de Maurice" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0IHJN9sevk

9 January 2026: Mauritius government fails to acknowledge or respond to global appeal over plight of monkeys

A global appeal to the government in Mauritius regarding the plight of long-tailed macaques living there has gone unanswered. It was sent on 21st October 2024, to Dr the Hon Arvin Boolell, the Minister of Agro-Industry, by Asia for Animals Coalition (AFA) on behalf of its network of over 200 local, national and international animal protection and conservation organisations. The organisations urged the Mauritius government to provide protection to long-tailed macaques and to end the country's capture of wild monkeys for export, breeding and use in experiments. Following the failure by Dr the Hon Arvin Boolell to acknowledge or respond to the letter, a second appeal has been sent, this time to the Prime Minister, Dr the Hon Navinchandra Ramgoolam.

The appeals stem from information that was recently uncovered that points to a failure by Mauritius to comply with its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in issuing permits for the export of long-tailed macaques, an Appendix II CITES-listed species (see Notes). A request has been sent to the CITES Secretariat that it investigates the status of Mauritius's compliance with its obligations under Article IV of the CITES Convention.

The long-tailed macaque is the most heavily traded non-human primate species and the most widely used in laboratories. There has been an alarming escalation in the numbers exported from Mauritius. Between 2015–2023, 103,397 long-tailed macaques were exported from Mauritius, primarily to the United States, Canada, the UK and EU for use by the research and toxicity (poisoning) testing industry, and between 2020–2023, 12,304 long-tailed macaques sourced as wild-caught were exported.

In a separate letter sent to Dr the Hon Arvin Boolell by several animal protection groups (Action for Primates, Monkey Massacre in Mauritius, PeTA and Cheshire Animal Rights Campaigns) on 29th October 2024, concerns were raised about Mauritius' compliance with clause (c) of the Article IV of the CITES Convention: ...a Management Authority of the State of export is satisfied that any living specimen will be so prepared and shipped as to minimize the risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment... This letter has since remained unanswered. Long-tailed macaques exported from Mauritius by air are being subjected to inhumane conditions, including lengthy transportation times that severely compromise their welfare. For example, in May 2025, Action for Primates received information that 800 long-tailed macaques transported by air from Mauritius to Miami, were subjected to a journey of over 43 hours, involving seven flights and stop-overs in Ethiopia, Greece, France, Iceland, Boston, New York and Miami; there was an eight and a half hour stop-over in Paris. The 43 hours does not include the hours spent at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, nor the unloading in Miami and the onward journey by road to the US importer's premises.

Sarah Kite, Action for Primates stated:

The lack of response from the Mauritius government to this global appeal by the animal protection movement is indicative of the government's dismissive attitude towards the plight of long-tailed macaques. Regardless of whether the macaque population is native or introduced, it is a CITES-listed species and, as such, Mauritius has an obligation to comply with the CITES convention regarding their trade and transportation. It is unconscionable that the Mauritius government will not even acknowledge the appeal, while continuing to persecute and exploit the monkeys..

Mansa Daby, founder, Monkey Massacre in Mauritius, stated:

In addition to the letter sent to Minister Boolell, I have tabled at a meeting with the Division of Veterinary Services of his Ministry autopsy reports of macaques who died of cardiac arrest during air transport and documented findings by the U.S. Department of Agriculture identifying serious animal welfare violations.

The macaque breeders routinely capture monkeys not only from the wild but also from residential and agricultural areas under so-called 'nuisance control' operations. This revolving door between public authorities and commercial operators raises serious concerns about governance, animal welfare, and Mauritius' compliance with its international obligations.

NOTES:

Article IV of the CITES Convention: An export permit shall only be granted when the following conditions have been met: (a) a Scientific Authority of the State of export has advised that such export will not be detrimental to the survival of that species; (b) a Management Authority of the State of export is satisfied that the specimen was not obtained in contravention of the laws of that State for the protection of fauna and flora; and (c) a Management Authority of the State of export is satisfied that any living specimen will be so prepared and shipped as to minimize the risk of injury, damage to health or cruel treatment... (https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php)

The obligation under clause (a) (an export permit shall only be granted when a Scientific Authority of the State of export has advised that such export will not be detrimental to the survival of that species) involves establishing a quota and providing an explanation of the scientific basis by which it was determined that the quota would not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild. This is known as Non-Detrimental Findings or NDFs.

NDFs are required by the Convention for any export of a CITES-listed species, regardless whether the population is native or introduced. An NDF usually involves population surveys. No population census on wild long-tailed macaques, however, has been carried out in Mauritius since the 1980s. If there are no recent population surveys, the Mauritius authorities cannot conclude that the export trade does not have an impact. Wild long-tailed macaques are also captured by macaque farms for breeding purposes, which has a further impact on the population.