Latest news with #LisaJones-Engel
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Report uncovers disturbing truth behind monkeys sold for 'corrupt' industry: 'There can be no dispute'
A groundbreaking report from Sandy River Research asserted that large swaths of so-called "captive-born" macaques from Southeast Asian breeding facilities might actually be poached wild monkeys. Endangered long-tailed macaques, native to Southeast Asia, have likely been poached and sold en masse to U.S.-based research facilities. According to Mongabay, Cambodia exported captive-born monkeys for biomedical research purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the numbers reported by these breeding facilities don't add up. In 2022, Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries reported over 73,000 captive macaque births in just one month. This is way outside the norm. Mongabay reported that, just two years prior, the total population in these facilities was a little over 69,000. Sandy River suggested that wild monkeys have been captured and sold to breeding facilities, which then forge the birthing rates on official records. Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries refuted Sandy River's claims. However, an anonymous poacher told Mongabay that he's been catching and selling long-tailed macaques to middlemen who bribed authorities and transported them to breeding farms in Cambodia and Vietnam. "There can be no dispute that the deficit has been filled by macaques obtained illegally and likely laundered into and out of the K-F site [monkey farm] for export for many years," Sandy River said. This is about more than long-tailed macaques. The anonymous poacher told Mongabay that he's encountered fewer monkeys each year. Though that evidence is anecdotal, long-tailed macaques are already an endangered species. Due to deforestation and trade demand, their population has declined by about 40% in the last 40 years. When a species declines or goes extinct, its ecosystem can be thrown out of balance, harming biodiversity. Humans across the world depend on biodiversity for fresh water, reliable food systems, and about half of modern medicines, according to the World Health Organization. If this report is correct, it seems that the biomedical research industry fuels this illegal trade of endangered species for animal testing. Do you think we use too much plastic in America? Definitely Only some people Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Lisa Jones-Engel, a primate scientist with PETA, said in an email to Mongabay that the biomedical research industry is clearly complicit in supporting "a transnational criminal network that illegally sources wild primates for the violent and corrupt international primate trade." Sandy River suggested that global authorities suspend primate imports until Cambodia and Vietnam can provide proper legal documentation. It also recommended more thorough law enforcement. So far, these actions have not been taken. If you would like to help on an individual level, you can try donating to causes that support endangered species, like the World Wildlife Fund. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Advocates shocked as officials turn blind eye to devastating animal trade: 'The system is rigged'
Despite recommendations for suspension due to concerns over poaching, Mongabay reported that Cambodian exports of the critically endangered long-tailed macaques will remain legal until November 2025. The Standing Committee of CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora — recommended the suspension of Cambodia's exports of long-tailed macaques. The recommendation was raised during a meeting in Geneva in February due to concerns over poaching and misrepresentation of wild-caught macaques as captive-bred animals. Cambodia objected to the recommended trade suspension. Other country representatives at the meeting backed Cambodia's objection, including those from Japan, Canada, and the U.S. The U.S. and Japan's ties with Cambodia in the biomedical sector may have influenced their stance on the issue, per Mongabay. Canada's representative voiced their interest in continuing the export, noting that Canadian research laboratories purchase and use long-tailed macaques in biomedical research. The delegates made a final decision on February 4, according to the report, agreeing to grant Cambodian wildlife officials until November 2025 to host CITES inspections and provide more data on birth rates at monkey-breeding facilities. If Cambodia fails to provide adequate data, CITES may enforce stricter trade regulations — but until then, the endangered long-tailed macaques remain at risk. According to the Born Free Foundation, long-tailed macaques, also known as Macaca fascicularis, are classified as endangered by the IUCN as of 2022. Cambodia's continued export of these endangered monkeys could heavily impact them and lead to their extinction. Mislabeling wild-caught macaques as captive-bred is also harmful as it puts them at risk of being poached and trafficked. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Trafficking long-tailed macaques can pose a threat to humans because these monkeys carry zoonotic pathogens. If left unchecked due to poaching and wildlife trafficking, macaques could transfer zoonotic diseases like malaria and the hepatitis B virus. CITES' decision to allow Cambodia's macaque exports until November 2025 is disappointing news to conservationists, scientists, and animal rights groups. Lisa Jones-Engel, senior science advisor on primate experimentation at PETA, expressed her disappointment at CITES' decision. Jones-Engel told Mongabay it's "so obvious that the system is rigged." By failing to act, governments are accelerating the decline of an already endangered species. Weak enforcement of laws like CITES could also enable exploitation, which can also put other endangered species at risk. Cambodia's long-tailed macaque exports remain legal for now, but it won't be forever. CITES will review the country's trade status after the CITES Conference of the Parties, which will be held from November 24 to December 5. While CITES has promised to review Cambodia's trade status on macaques in November, these endangered monkeys could also benefit from more conservation efforts. Other species considered endangered or thought to be extinct have been making comebacks in recent years thanks to crucial conservation efforts, like the spoonbill in England and bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada. The best thing individuals can do about the long-tailed macaque exports is to stay informed about conservation laws and show support for animal rights groups. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
