Chain of Suffering

Location:
Indonesia
Uncovered:
the shocking trade in monkeys that violates international animal welfare guidelines and breaches Indonesia's own legislation.

Shipment of monkeys to laboratories

Countries to have imported macaques from Indonesia in recent years include the USA, China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Between 2006 and 2008, the following companies have imported primates from Indonesia:

Charles River Laboratories, Nevada, USA
Primate Products, Florida, USA
SNBL USA Ltd, Everett, Washington, USA
Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA
CLEA, Japan
Aritake Chojuten Co Ltd, Japan
Tianjin Jinxin Import and Export Corporation, China
Hainan Jingang Laboratory Animal Company, China

Information obtained by the BUAV has shown that some of the primates exported from Indonesia to the USA have been subjected to extremely long transit times, by road and air, sometimes taking days to complete. On 22nd June 2006, a shipment of 150 primates was flown out of Jakarta, on a Philippine Airlines flight, to San Francisco via Manila in the Philippines. At Manila, the monkeys had to wait almost nine hours before making a connecting flight to San Francisco. In the USA, the final leg of the journey, 3,133 miles to Primate Products in Miami, Florida, was completed by road and was estimated to take around 72 hours, arriving on 25th June. This is a total transit time of around 96 hours or four days. During this time, the monkeys would have been packed into small wooden crates (usually too small to allow them to comfortably stand up). These transportation conditions cause stress and suffering for these sensitive animals. In addition to the cramped conditions, the monkeys may have to endure inadequate ventilation, noise and extreme temperature fluctuations. Flights may also be delayed en route at airports where food and water may not be available

Philippine Airlines, Korean Air and China Southern airlines have been responsible for transporting primates from Indonesia to research facilities around the world.

After desperately trying to escape, this trapped scared and bewildered monkey awaits his fate. Wild caught monkeys were apparently sold for as little as $2 US each. Indonesia continues to allow indigenous wild populations of macaques, such as these, to be plundered from its rainforests for the research industry. The Macaca fascicularis or long-tailed macaque is widespread throughout Southeast Asia. The species can live in a range of habitats, but prefers forested areas near water, including mangrove and swamp forests. This macaque was living freely in the jungles of Indonesia. Long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques are classified as Appendix II under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Threats to their survival include habitat destruction, hunting and persecution as a pest. Any trade in these primates for the research, industry will further exacerbate these losses. The BUAV investigation has uncovered the cruelty and suffering inflicted on macaques during their capture, confinement and transportation in Indonesia. At the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) in Indonesia, young monkeys were housed in these barren metal cages, totally inappropriate for their needs. Primates require a complex, stimulating environment for their psychological well-being At one primate supply company, monkeys were kept in small pens with smooth walls and floor. The monkeys had no place to climb or hide and could only hang from the ceiling by their limbs. This would be stressful for them in addition to the stress experienced as a result of captivity and confinement. At Jakarta airport, BUAV investigators found monkeys kept in these stark conditions prior to being exported overseas to be used in experiments. Every year thousands of monkeys from Indonesia are exported around the world to countries such as the USA, Japan and China where they will suffer and probably die in research laboratories The BUAV investigation uncovered the misuse of important CITES codes that define the source of primates. Consequently wild primates such as these who are living and breeding freely in a natural environment are designated as captive-bred animals and exported for the international research industry. Wild-caught monkeys destined for the research industry were transported across Indonesia in these dilapidated wooden and wire crates. These crates were piled on top of each other in the back of an open truck. Snatched from the wild, these monkeys were crammed into small, make-shift wooden crates and transported from the trapping site. This method of transportation was carried out in a cruel way that would inflict further suffering on wild animals who were already stressed and bewildered by being removed from their homes and family groups. Wild monkeys were caught in bamboo traps like this one. The trap is primed with fruit such as bananas. As the monkey pulls on the bananas, the bamboo frame collapses trapping the monkeys inside. After capture, wild monkeys were held in cramped small wooden crates at dealers' premises. Such conditions would be extremely stressful for the monkeys and likely to cause ill health, injuries and even death.

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