Stop Monkey Business

I was passing through Maitighar Mandala and I saw one hoarding board just below the hoarding board of "Hinsha Birodh, Shanti Athot" on Rhesus Monkey's export to University of Washington, US in the name of research. There's picture of monkey with research tools added to it's body/head and saying Stop Monkey Business.

Following the Indian ban on the export of rhesus monkeys for use in bio-medical research, Western research labs now seem to be eyeing Nepali monkeys. Washington National Primate Center (WNPC) and its Nepali counterpart, Nepal Natural History Society (NHS), have established a breeding centre for Nepali rhesus monkeys at Lele, Kathmandu Valley. The monkeys in future are to be exported to the US and undergo painful and sometimes deadly tests.

Rhesus macaques are preferred subjects for biomedical and behavioral research primarily because of their willingness to breed in captivity. But often monkeys are caged in solitary confinement and develop self-injurious habits such as biting their own bodies, hair-pulling, and repetitive motions.

Animal rights activists express concern that Nepal's decision will open the floodgates to export Nepali monkeys and other animals to countries like Japan and Germany, for medical research. The decision comes at a time when research institutions are increasingly finding alternatives to the use of non-human primates in research, which is why a growing number of countries have banned such research.

Critics allege that the US is looking for lab monkeys to conduct bio-terrorism experiments. The government can earn up to US $300 per monkey for sale to American labs. Nepali Government should not allow Nepali monkeys to die a slow and painful death there just for the sake of enriching a few dollars.

Monkeys and snakes aren't the only animals under threat. Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation spokesperson Mohan Prasad Wagle says the government will facilitate the commercial breeding of other wildlife species like crocodiles, black bucks, pheasants, barking deer, spotted deer, sambar deer, hog deer and various kinds of birds.

Let's be united to save Nepali Monkey and other animals from painful deaths and deadly tests. In the past also, America and other developed countries have used Nepali people or animals to test their products like Hepatitis Vaccine, Family Planning methods like pills etc. among others. We Nepali either human or animal are not subject to tests and research. Let's start it with pressuring government to stop monkey business.