Wildlife Dept. assures court Lankan monkeys won’t be sent to China

The Department of Wildlife has assured the Court of Appeal that Toque Macaque monkeys will not be sent to China.

The undertaking was given yesterday (26) when a petition filed by environmental organisations against the alleged move to send 100,000 Toque Macaque monkeys to China was taken up.

The petition had been filed by a total of 27 parties including the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, Otara Gunawardena, Ven. Ananda Sagara Thera and Rukshan Jayawardena, claiming that reports have revealed that the monkeys are being exported to China for lab-testing purposes. Citing that such a move would constitute an act of animal cruelty while also defying the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, the petitioners have sought an order preventing the government plan to send the monkeys to China.