KATHMANDU, Jan 21: A group of animal rights activists have sought the Supreme Court to interfere with the government’s proposed plan to permit export of Nepal’s rhesus macaque monkey to US for scientific researches.
They moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday with a public interest litigation seeking the court to stop the government from exporting what they called the endangered animals.
They argued in the petition that the proposed export would affect the population of the “endangered” animals which are particularly high in demand for research because of their genetic makeup.
Well known to science owing to its relatively easy upkeep in captivity, the rhesus macaque monkeys are well known to science owing to its relatively easy upkeep in captivity and have been used extensively in medical and biological research, according to Wikipedia. Following a ban on export by India in 1978, there is shortage of the rhesus monkeys for scientific studies.
Photo Courtesy: National Geographic Society
The petitioners alleged that the government is in the process of permitting the export of the rhesus monkeys to the US-based Washington University, in violation of the Wildlife Act. The Supreme Court is holding its first hearing on the case on Thursday, according to advocate Vijay Singh, who is going to plead on behalf of the petitioners.
Nepal opened the door for the use of rhesus monkeys for research in 2003 when it formulated Wildlife Farming Breeding and Reach Working Policy that allowed breeding of animals in captivity. The policy says that captive-bred animals can be used for scientific research. Currently, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation have permitted two private sector organizations for breeding and reproduction of the rhesus monkeys.
According to the petitioners, Nepal Biodiversity Research Center and National Biomedical Research Center are currently involved in the captive breeding of the monkeys in Nepal and have been lobbying the government for permission for the export of the monkeys.
According to Environment News Service, an environmental wire service, China does export captive-bred macaques. Scientists have noticed a number of behavioral and physiological differences in disease progression between animals from two countries, the wire reported in its website.
However, some animal rights activists have protested the proposed export of the monkeys from Nepal. The Environment Wire Service quoted renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall as saying on the export of Nepal’s rhesus monkeys, , "Nepal´s monkeys are both sacred and beautiful creatures. They should not be exported to any country for research purposes, but should be allowed to live wild and free."
Animal Nepal and Wildlife Watch Groups have also opposed the breeding and exporting of Nepalese monkeys for biomedical research in America.
In the past, these groups have collected the signatures of more than 1,100 people from 21 nations on a petition calling on the government of Nepal to cancel its plans to establish laboratories using rhesus monkeys and to export monkeys, the wire reported.
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Please follow the example of India and BAN THE EXPORT OF RHESUS MONKEYS. God Bless India.
Using live laboratory animals for research is immoral, unethical, dangerous and cruel. Sir Alexander Fleming admitted that penicillin would have been available 10 years earlier had he not used animals in his experiments.
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Mrs. Sally Brown
The number on the signed petitions are well over 7,000 from over 175 countries – not the 1,100 reported by Kirin in Republica. Just to set the record straight!
jigs
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Herojig for AnimalNEPAL.org
Just to set the record straight, the number of signatures is well over 7000, and from over 175 countries. thanks for the reporting...
Jigs@animalnepal
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Herojig
The implications for Nepalese tourism, should monkey exports begin, will be VERY serious for Nepal!
The Maoists have shown their contempt for democracy by beating up free journalists and now they ignore international opinion by allowing monkeys to be sent to horrific deaths worldwide....despite regular protests in Europe and the USA.
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