Image from Animal Rights Belgium

Our thanks to the Animal Protection Party of Canada for the information below. It the opportunity to take action if you are opposed to Canada’s practice of allowing the importation of endangered monkeys for use in lab experiments.

A new survey, commissioned by our partners in the Laboratory Investigations Department at PETA, reveals that the majority of Canadians oppose the importation of endangered monkeys into Canada for use in laboratory experiments.  

The survey was conducted by Abacus Data and polled 2,193 adults. It identified consistent opposition across genders, age groups, and political affiliations, indicating that the issue is a nonpartisan, ethical, scientific, and public health concern. Key findings of the survey: 

• 64% of Canadians oppose the importation of endangered monkeys for biomedical experimentation, compared to only 16% who support it. 

• When informed that bats and non-human primates are the most likely species to spread novel viruses to humans, opposition rises to 69%. 

• When considering the moral and ethical implications, 76% of Canadians believe there is no justification for importing endangered monkeys for experimentation, in Canada or anywhere.

In response to the survey findings and together with PETA, Abolición Vivisección, Canadian academics and scientists, we sent a letter to Canadian politicians calling on them to listen to their constituents and ban these monkey imports. 

In nature, these monkeys live in large groups with an intense focus on social relationships. Infant macaques are doted on, and female macaques remain in their birth group for life. These endangered monkeys are captured from their natural homes in staggering numbers. They are funneled into the international wildlife trade where they are crammed into wooden shipping containers and sent to laboratories. In labs they are used in painful, deadly experiments that lack relevance to humans.

Help us shut down this cruel pipeline. You can use this link to send a letter to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada asking him to ban the importation of endangered monkeys. Or better yet, please call his Ministerial office and leave a polite message with his assistant at: 613-992-6779. If you need talking points, a sample letter is posted here. 

Thank you for standing with us in defence of these beings.  

Lia Laskaris 

Chief Agent
Animal Protection Party of Canada 

E/ lia@animalprotectionparty.ca
W/ www.animalprotectionparty.ca