Action for Primates
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Action for Primates |
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The following are take action items we have posted in 2023. See elsewhere for take action alerts from other years. In addition to the Take Action entries below, you can click here for petitions you can sign and share to help non-human primates around the world.
21 March 2023: Take action for the monkeys in Mauritius
Action for Primates is concerned for the welfare and future of 250 long-tailed macaques who were recently seized by police and officers from the Ministry of Agro-Industry in Mauritius. According to news media reports, the monkeys were being illegally held in single cages in a building in Jin Fei. The authorities suspect that the monkeys, who were captured in the wild, are part of an illegal trafficking network. The director of a company who was arrested and then released on bail, stated that he had applied for a permit to export the monkeys and was waiting for a response from the ministry.
What you can do to help (for more information on the issue, see below):
Action for Primates is calling on the authorities to carry out an urgent investigation into those involved in the illegal capture and captivity of these monkeys, and for full transparency regarding the current situation and fate of these unfortunate individuals, including a visit by a representative from an animal welfare group to assess the situation. We also urge the authorities to show compassion and return these monkeys to the wild where they belong, rather than give them to companies where they will be used for breeding or exported to laboratories.
We hope that the widespread interest and shock over this case will help to raise awareness about the plight of long-tailed macaques in Mauritius, and the brutal trade in their lives for the global research and toxicity (poisoning) testing industry which has expanded in recent years, with almost 12,000 individuals exported in 2022. The macaques are held captive in their thousands at several breeding and export companies, their offspring taken away to be sold to laboratories in the US and Europe. Disturbingly, in recent years, the commercial trade in capturing wild long-tailed macaques for breeding and export has resumed in Mauritius.
Wild monkeys in Mauritius are not protected. They are trapped for many reasons, including to be eaten, kept as 'pets', exported to laboratories directly or used for breeding and their offspring exported, or simply killed because they are considered to be a 'nuisance'. Many people are unaware that, in Mauritius, monkeys may be captured to be sold as 'pets' or to be killed and eaten. Treating sentient and intelligent beings this way is appalling. The trapping of wild monkeys is a practice that is universally condemned because it is cruel. It causes immense suffering, not only for those who are removed from their homes, but also for those family members and others left behind.
In 2021, Biosphere Trading, one of the companies exporting monkeys, was granted permission by the government to expand its facility and to capture up to 1,000 monkeys to be used for breeding. According to a news report at the time, Biosphere intended to provide landowners and their tenants with traps to capture monkeys and would then offer to buy selected individuals, effectively placing a bounty on the monkeys' heads. Biosphere did not indicate what was to be done with unwanted individuals. Such an approach to the trapping of wild monkeys adds an additional level of inhumanity to the situation.
In 2022, concerned residents in Mauritius alerted Action for Primates and One Voice that monkeys were being trapped in several locations, including Vallée-Pitot in Port Louis. The trapping was being done for one of the companies that exports monkeys overseas to laboratories. Video footage showed a large gang cage into which unsuspecting monkeys were being lured by food and then trapped. The distressed monkeys, who can be heard crying out, were placed into small transit crates and loaded onto truck and driven away.
15 March 2023: Call to UK government to include animal cruelty content in Online Safety Bill
Animal protection, wildlife and anti-trafficking organisations from the UK and across the globe, including Action for Primates, have joined forces to call on the UK government to bring animal cruelty content within the scope of the Online Safety Bill. Your help is urgently needed:
The UK Online Safety Bill establishes a new regulatory framework to increase accountability of online technology companies and protect users, especially children and vulnerable adults, from harmful online content. The important issue of animal cruelty content will be raised when the Bill goes through the committee stage in the House of Lords. An amendment tabled by Lord Stevenson of Balmacara would add offences under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (unnecessary suffering) and offences under section 1 of the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, to the list of priority offences set out in schedule 7.
Such content involving animal abuse and cruelty, especially towards baby monkeys, is available on social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Videos posted show the deliberate infliction of pain and fear, causing physical harm as well as emotional distress. Even more disturbing is content in which baby monkeys are deliberately and gratuitously abused, tortured and killed for 'entertainment'. Its easy accessibility puts people, particularly children and other vulnerable groups, at risk and is likely to cause them considerable psychological damage and harm.
Widespread support comes from dozens of organisations, including the Wildlife and Countryside Link, the largest environment and wildlife coalition in England, and the Asia for Animals Coalition (SMACC), who are urging members of the House of Lords to speak in favour of the Stevenson animal cruelty amendment at committee stage and to urge the Government to make this change to the Bill. By doing so, Ministers can address a substantial source of online harm to children and help uphold the UK's reputation as a world-leader in animal welfare.
Sarah Kite, co-founder of UK-based project, Action for Primates, stated: The posting of monkey torture videos on social media platforms depicting extreme violence inflicted upon baby monkeys is sickening. Self-regulation by the tech platforms is not working, and effective legislation is required to stop this harmful content. We are grateful to Lord Stevenson of Balmacara for tabling this amendment and urge the Government to include animal cruelty content within the scope of the UK's Online Safety Bill.
The fact that online animal cruelty content is easily available and accessible by children and other vulnerable groups has been demonstrated by several studies:
young children are being exposed to horrific incidents of animal suffering online in ways previous generations have simply not experienced.(https://www.rspca.org.uk/-/16_10_18_genkind)
It's worrying that people who wouldn't ordinarily see animal cruelty are being exposed to it online. Not only could it encourage other people to do the same but it creates a society that has become de-sensitised to some of the most horrific acts of cruelty to animals which is a backward step for us as a nation of animal lovers.(https://www.rspca.org.uk/-/news-reports-of-animal-abuse-doubled)
Evidence that demonstrates the risk to children and young adults of being adversely affected by exposure to animal abuse:
There is emerging evidence that childhood exposure to maltreatment of companion animals is associated with psychopathology in childhood and adulthood.(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.09.004)
Examples of baby monkey abuse videos that have been posted on social media include:
Such acts of extreme cruelty and depravity are recorded and posted for the 'enjoyment' of viewers. Social media platforms are providing meeting places and an easy way for those people who enjoy watching monkey suffering to connect. The people leave vile and abusive comments encouraging more violence towards monkeys. Some post their contact details to private groups such as Telegram so that people can access additional abusive videos.
6 March 2023: Capuchins subjected to invasive surgery to study effects of chewing
Capuchins were subjected to multiple episodes of head surgery and food deprivation in publicly funded research at the University of Chicago in the US, for the sole purpose of determining the effect of feeding (jaw movements or chewing behaviour) on the points where the plates of the skull come together (called sagittal sutures) (Byron et al 2023). Researchers from several other universities were also involved, including Mercer University, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, University of Illinois, University of Pennsylvania, University of the South, Washington University and University of Johannesburg.
The research was reviewed and approved by the University of Chicago's Institutional Care and Use Committee and was funded entirely using hundreds of thousands of public dollars through grants 0725147 and 0725183 from the National Science Foundation.
Two adult capuchins each from the genera Cebus and Sapajus were used (the authors could not identify the species). One was female, the other three were male. The source of the capuchins was not stated, but they had been used in previous research in which they had been trained
to eat while restrained in a primate chair
.
Each capuchin was subjected to the following four times:
food-deprived for 24 h
degreased, recording devices were glued to the bone using
cyanoacrylate adhesive; the skin incision was closed
primate chairfrom Plas Labs, Lansing, MI, during which recordings were made while they ate a variety of foods; at some point prior to each recording sessions, each individual also had several electrodes inserted through the skin into the muscles used for chewing, in some locations until they
contacted bone; there was no mention of any anaesthesia having been used for this procedure
itscage; contrary to proper protocol for reporting research, there was no description of the housing conditions, but from the wording used by the authors, it seemed clear that each capuchin was housed alone in a cage so that they were deprived of social contact critical for their well-being
There was no attempt by the authors to couch this work as being invaluable in helping people. For the sake of pure intellectual curiosity, each of these four capuchins had to endure not only the suffering inherent in being held captive, but also the suffering involved in 'training' to force them to sit for long periods in a primate chair
; four 24 hour periods during which they were deprived of food; eight episodes of anaesthesia and the considerable illness of recovery; and four episodes of invasive surgery to implant recording devices onto their skulls. Despite all this, the authors acknowledged what we believe have to be considered severe shortcomings of the work: The four individuals available for study did not constitute an ideal sample. Their precise species membership is unknown, and the sex balance was uneven (three males and one female) which also impacts the cranial phenotype variable.
The public are told repeatedly and at every opportunity that non-human primates are only used in research vital to understanding and helping humans. We are also told that researchers and funding agencies are working toward ending the use of non-human primates at some point in the (distant) future. This work with the capuchins is just one more example of the falsehoods of all these claims.
Please voice your objection to this continued abuse of non-human primates in the name of science:
Reference:
15 February 2023: Monkeys at Angkor Wat continue to be harassed for social media videos
Macaques at Angkor Wat are continuing to be harassed and persecuted by people who film them for views on social media, as highlighted in a new report (Monkey Harassment Continues in Angkor Wat) and video compilation (Monkey Abuse Continues in Angkor Wat) revealed by Action for Primates, Lady Freethinker and Stop Monkey Abuse Asia. The report and video reveal how monkeys are still being followed with cameras, interfered with, picked up and carried, forcibly separated from one another, and given food and cartons of milk.
Action for Primates and Lady Freethinker, together with Stop Monkey Abuse Asia, have been campaigning for an end to the persecution, exploitation and abuse of monkeys at Angkor Wat, a popular tourist destination, UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to several troops of long-tailed and northern pig-tailed macaques. Following our investigation in 2022 and letters of concern to APSARA, National Authority in Cambodia and UNESCO, APSARA released a public announcement in October 2022. They acknowledged the negative impact that feeding of the monkeys was having on their welfare and public safety and urged people not to feed or have contact with the monkeys. They also stated they would take legal action against those who commit crimes against monkeys and other wildlife at Angkor Wat.
After spending several weeks monitoring social media channels and groups run by video operators in Siem Reap, Action for Primates, Lady Freethinker and Stop Monkey Abuse Asia have concluded that, following the APSARA statement, the situation for the monkeys has not improved. Our Report documents that the abuse is continuing, with videos being posted on numerous social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook. These videos show the continuing deplorable activities of video operators deliberately interfering with and harassing the monkeys, causing stressful and distressing situations and disrupting their social groups in order to create content for online 'entertainment'.
There have also been reports of video makers staging 'rescues', as well as releasing monkeys who have been raised as 'pets' into the existing wild population at Angkor Wat. In one disturbing video, a monkey was brought to Angkor Wat in a sack, with a chain around her neck and tape binding her arms and legs. These former 'pet' monkeys, who are not part of the established troops, are at risk of serious injury and death. It is obvious that the operators are only interested in creating drama for filming rather than looking out for the welfare of the captive individuals.
Announcement from APSARA in October 2022, following an investigation and appeals by Action for Primates, Lady Freethinker and Stop Monkey Abuse Asia, included the following:
In order to maintain the harmony of wildlife in Angkor Park, we would like to request the cooperation from the public and relevant authorities working together to prevent all these inappropriate activities that have been negatively impacting management of Angkor Park, which affects national pride and honor. At the same time, we urge national and international tourists to stay away from the monkeys and wildlife to avoid any harm...We will also take legal action against those who have committed crimes against monkeys and other wildlife in Angkor Park without exception.
Sarah Kite, co-founder, Action for Primates, stated: For the sake of the monkeys and the safety of the public, we urge APSARA to fulfil the pledge it made, and intervene to stop this inhumane, unlawful persecution and exploitation of the macaques at Angkor Wat. A strict ban on people interacting with and feeding the monkeys must be enforced.
The footage is clear – video operators continue to harass the macaques for the sole purpose of 'entertainment' and making a profit,
said Nina Jackel, founder and president of Lady Freethinker. It's crucial that Cambodian officials live up to their promises and take legal action against anyone who harms these magnificent animals.
Shaz Daisy Torrance, Stop Monkey Abuse Asia, stated: We are calling on APSARA to enforce the law, which is currently being ignored by video operators, at Angkor Wat. In particular, the treatment and abandonment of former 'pet' macaques in the temple complex is cruel and inhumane. They deserve freedom and a chance to return to a life in the wild.
Take Action for the macaques at Angkor Wat:
23 January 2023: US tax payers fund attempt to develop a non-human primate model
of autism
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the science community at large offer repeated assurances that non-human primates are used in research only when necessary, when there is no other way to gain information that will advance the human condition. Despite this, we continually see published work on studies in which various species of non-human primates were used, mutilated and killed in the name of science. In most cases, not only is the information gained not applicable to humans, it is either available already or can be obtained in ethical and humane studies on humans.
A recent example of such a study is one in which captive rhesus macaques were observed to see if they had behaviour that might suggest autism-like
traits (Talbot et al 2022). The work was done at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), which is funded by the public through the NIH (grants HD087048, MH020016, OD011107), comprising of many millions of US dollars. The authors were affiliated with the University of California-Davis, Cornell University, the Florida Institute of Technology and Stanford University. They wanted to use the information gained to identify an animal model
which could then be exploited and manipulated in order to understand behaviour that might be translatable to human autism.
Autism is a spectrum condition and refers to a broad range of conditions thought to be influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Looking for autistic-type traits in monkeys is a simplistic, reductionist and mechanical approach to this complex condition. Furthermore, the rhesus macaques in question, even though being 'housed' outdoors in large groups, are not afforded the freedom and opportunities that would be present while living freely in their natural homes. Their development and behaviour would be different. Because they are not normal in the true sense of the word, findings in them are likely to be misleading.
More importantly, there is no shortage of studies involving humans with autism. A search of the National Library of Medicine online records reveals tens of thousands of such studies. Despite this, rather than pursuing humane and human-relevant areas of research, researchers are once again increasing – not decreasing – the use of non-human primates by trying to find new ways of using non-human primates as surrogates for humans. Once they 'establish' their animal model
, it is almost certain that they will begin subjecting the macaques to various manipulations including giving experimental drugs or doing surgery to implant electrodes in order to study the connections in the brain.
This abuse of non-human primates must end. As long as the National Institutes of Health and its branches continue to reward researchers with millions of dollars annually to use and abuse non-human primates in the name of science, and journals such as the American Journal of Primatology continue to publish the results, research entities will continue to use non-human primates as surrogates for humans, often resulting in misery, suffering and death for these individuals. We ask people to send a message to the directors of the NIH and the relevant branches and object to this continued exploitation of non-human primates:
Reference:
20 January 2023: Entire population of vervets to be slaughtered on Sint Maarten
Action for Primates is urging the government of Sint Maarten to abandon its appalling and inhumane plan to kill the entire population of vervets (African green monkeys) (Sint Maarten approves plan to destroy entire population of vervet monkeys). The slaughter is reportedly to 'resolve' the issue of negative interactions between people and the monkeys. Funding will be given to the NGO, Nature Foundation St Maarten, to capture and kill the entire population, estimated to be around 450 individuals, over the next three years. The slaughter of hundreds of sentient and intelligent beings will repulse people around the world and tarnish the reputation of Sint Maarten as a popular Caribbean holiday destination.
An open letter to the government of Sint Maarten, signed by over 60 groups and organisations, including Action for Primates, and individuals representing experts in the field of primatology, animal welfare, rescue and rehabilitation, has been published. The letter calls for the adoption of a sterilisation programme as a humane solution to managing the situation. Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, has published an article summarising the situation with the vervets in One Green Planet.
Dr Nedim Buyukmihci, a veterinarian with many years experience of working with non-human primates in different settings, stated: Non-human primates share many of the important characteristics we value in ourselves. There is a greater awareness of the genetic proximity of non-human primates to human beings together with their capacity to experience pain, suffering and distress similarly to people. With the growing acknowledgement of the negative impact human activities are having on the planet and its inhabitants, it is more important than ever that we reassess the way we not only treat non-human primates, but how we humanely resolve negative interactions.
Rather than dismiss vervets as a 'pest' or a nuisance and killing them, Action for Primates appeals to the government and communities of Sint Maarten to learn to adapt their behaviour in ways that will help to prevent problems arising in the first place, and if problems arise, to support resolving such 'conflicts' humanely. Considerations for non-lethal resolution include reproductive control such as sterilisation combined with education programmes to help the public deal with and prevent negative interactions with monkeys.
Please speak up for the vervets on Sint Maarten and urge the government to abandon this inhumane plan and instead adopt a humane approach to any negative interactions with people:
16 January 2023: Your help needed to provide protection for long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques in Indonesia
Harrowing images of baby long-tailed and southern pig-tailed macaques on sale at a market in Indonesia have been released by Animal Friends Jogja and Action for Primates, illustrating why these non-human primate species are in such urgent need of protection. These bewildered and distressed infants, who should be in the protective and nurturing care of their mothers and extended family, were found chained by the neck and imprisoned in small cages at this busy market alongside many other wild and domestic animal species.
Long-tailed and southern pig-tailed macaques are indigenous to Indonesia and are part of the rich and diverse ecosystem, contributing to the country's unique biodiversity. In 2022, the IUCN Red List uplisted the conservation status of both species to Endangered. Despite this, neither species is being protected. Without such protection, and labelled as 'pests', the macaques are persecuted, killed or captured – abducted from their natural habitat, family and social groups – to be sold at markets and into the 'pet' trade. Infants are taken from mothers to be kept as 'pets', abused for "likes" and profit online, or forced to 'perform' on the streets as 'entertainment'.
Long-tailed macaques also suffer because of the global trade in non-human primates for research and toxicity (poisoning) testing, captured for breeding purposes by companies that supply thousands of macaques to laboratories in Indonesia and overseas, including China and the USA. Harrowing video footage released by Action for Primates, revealed the shocking cruelty during such capture of long-tailed macaques in Indonesia (click here see our previous Take Action alert) and the inhumane way in which they were treated. The monkeys were trapped inside large nets and forcibly removed by hand, often dragged out by their tails (long-tailed macaques' tails are not prehensile, making spinal injury an issue) or pinned to the ground by a trapper's foot and removed, to be stuffed head first into sacks or crammed into wooden crates. On capture, infants were separated from their mothers, and 'unwanted' alpha males were beaten down with a pole and their throats cut with a machete.
The Primates Fight Back Movement, a coalition of animal protection, environment and conservation groups, including Action for Primates, is calling upon the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry to protect long-tailed and southern pig-tailed macaques from exploitation, persecution and abuse.
The Asia for Animals Macaque Coalition has published The Macaque Report – Indonesia's Unprotected Primates. The Macaque Coalition comprises local and international animal protection organisations, including Action for Primates, which share an interest in protecting some of the most heavily exploited and misunderstood non-human primates on earth: macaques.
What you can do to help: Please urge long-tailed and southern pig-tailed macaques in Indonesia to be given protection:
13 January 2023: Capuchin monkeys killed just to get their brains in Brazil
Five adult capuchins, two females and three males, were killed for no other reason than to obtain their brains. The work was done at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro) in Brazil and was approved by their Ethics Committee for the Care and Use of Experimental Animals
and done in accordance with the guidelines of the National Institute [sic] of Health for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
. It was published in the Journal of Comparative Neurology (Bonfim et al 2023).
There was no mention of the species of the capuchins, only that they were of the genus Sapajus. No information was provided on the source of the individuals nor under what conditions they were housed before their lives were brutally ended. Each individual was deeply anaesthetised and then killed by injecting a poisonous substance (fixative) directly through their chest cavity into the heart.
The work was done just to see if a specific part of the brain (inferior parietal cortex
) had a similar structure to that seen in macaques and how that might be considered in the context of evolution. In addition, it was part of a Master Dissertation
project for one of the authors. The findings have no relevance for capuchins or any relevance to humans. We do not know whether the authors knew which species they were using, but we do know that not all species of a particular genus are identical; there are at least seven species of capuchins classified under the genus Sapajus and they have different behavioural traits. This calls into question the 'science' of this study. Furthermore, source and housing conditions have effects on the development of individuals, including of the brain and probably particularly the area the authors sought to examine: Skilled hand movements and tool manipulation are landmarks [sic] abilities observed in capuchin monkeys
. The development of the brains of individuals who are born in their native land and who develop subject to the normal environment comprising land and vegetation, as well as the learning opportunities from their parents and extended family, will almost certainly be substantially different from those who are raised in a laboratory environment. Despite this, such information was not provided.
This work was simply carried out for 'intellectual curiosity'. It was a tragic waste of the lives of five individuals who should have been living freely in their native habitat, with others of their kind, including friends and family. We are told repeatedly that non-human primates are used only when necessary; this is yet another example where such assurances clearly are false.
What you can do to help:
Reference:
3 January 2023: Infant monkeys deliberately subjected to maternal deprivation and maltreatment in publicly funded research in US
In this shocking and particularly inhumane publicly funded research carried out at Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, and disturbingly deemed worthy of publication by the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, researchers purposefully fostered
infant rhesus macaques with mothers known to maltreat their offspring (McCormack et al 2022). The infants were part of a group of 42 who had been removed from their biological mothers at birth and then provided with either a competent
mother or one who had a history of infant maltreatment
. The researchers wanted to observe the rates of maternal abuse and rejection received
by the maltreated infants. In addition to outright rejection, infant maltreatment was defined, among other things, as physical abuse...at least 3 instances of violent behaviors of the mother directed towards the infant...that cause pain and distress, e.g. dragging, crushing, throwing, or roughly grooming or carrying the infant
. These behaviours produced distress in the infants.
Despite acknowledging that childhood maltreatment is a devastating form of early life adversity/stress
resulting in increased risk for psychopathology (e.g., anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder -PTSD), substance use disorders, cognitive deficits, obesity, and inflammation
, the researchers created even more misery and suffering by causing similar damage in infant monkeys. Unsurprisingly, the researchers concluded that monkey mothers who maltreat infant monkeys provide an overall lower quality of care
leading to lasting problems for the infants and that caregiving at a very young age is critical to the development of both emotional and physiological regulation
.
The public are repeatedly told that non-human primates are used in research only when absolutely necessary and only when there are no other alternatives available. This shameful experiment, which will likely be repeated in various forms in the future, resulted in extreme suffering for infant monkeys and harm that may last their lifetime. It demonstrates the meaningless nature of such assurances and a lack of commitment to stop using non-human primates. Clinical studies – humane and ethical – have been and can continue to be done on relevant populations of people in order to get data that are directly applicable to people. As is always the case with the publication of the macaque studies, the authors acknowledged that many similar studies have already been done in people.
The work was funded entirely by public funds through the National Institutes of Health and its branch, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Included were grants: MH078105, MH086203, OD011132 and OD010757. These grants comprise tens of millions of US dollars.
Information gleaned from studies on human beings is the only way to definitively help people; so-called animal models simply do not work, as has been pointed out by a previous director of the National Institutes of Health, of which the NIMH is a part (McManus 2013). Moreover, experts in primatology are calling for an end to this type of research (Padrell et al 2021). The many millions of tax-payer funds wasted annually on this kind of research would be of substantial use in helping people with mental health issues directly, and now, not at some never to be achieved time in the future.
This abuse of non-human primates must end. As long as the National Institutes of Health and its branches continue to reward researchers with millions of dollars annually to abuse non-human primates in the name of science, and journals such as Psychoneuroendocrinology continue to publish the results, research entities will continue to concoct these cruel experiments that comprise misery, suffering and death for these individuals. We ask people to send a message to the directors of the NIH and the relevant branches and object to this inhumane research causing maltreatment of rhesus macaque infants:
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