Hundreds of Monkeys Slaughtered in Mauritius
A monkey breeding farm on the island of Mauritius is in hot water following a shocking investigation by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV). Investigators with the organization, now named Cruelty Free International, documented monkeys’ bodies thrown in piles and trash bins at a facility owned by Noveprim. Some monkeys had been mutilated and were ready for incineration.
On the African island of Mauritius, monkeys are often plucked from the wild and exported overseas for medical laboratory testing. Firms in the U.K., Spain, and the U.S. are Noveprim’s most notable clients.
The most marketable monkeys weigh under eight pounds. Heavier adult males, pregnant females, and baby monkeys are often killed. Still, Noveprim is an approved supplier by the UK Home Office, a department of the British Government.
According to a 2020 article by The Independent, over 6,700 primates were sent to the U.K. in 2019 for testing. The majority of these originated in Mauritius. Once they landed, researchers pumped their bodies with newly-developed drugs in a series of laboratory tests.
And while a shocking number of monkeys are exploited each year in the U.K., the numbers in the U.S. are much higher. Here, primates are imported by the tens of thousands.
Despite killing “surplus” monkeys, Noveprim continued to set traps in the wild. BUAV has called upon the Prime Minister of Mauritius to halt these killings while demanding that the UK Government ban the import of monkeys from Mauritius.
“This is a cruel and senseless slaughter,” said Sarah Kite, BUAV’s Director of Special Projects, as reported by the Daily Mail. “It is unacceptable that monkeys who have been exploited for years are now simply discarded because they are of no further use to this company. These monkeys should be released into the wild so that they can live out the rest of their lives freely.”
Animal Testing Cruelty and the Food Industry
Attitudes toward animal testing have shifted over the years, partly because research shows that it’s not a good indicator of clinical results in humans. But the issue of animal testing also raises serious questions about using animals’ bodies for human purposes.
Perhaps nothing shows the dangers of this as clearly as the factory farming industry. While approximately 20 million animals are used in laboratories in the U.S. each year, over 23 million land animals are killed for food in the U.S. every single day.
Animal Equality’s investigators have filmed factory farms and slaughterhouses in eight countries: the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Germany, and India. In each one, we’ve found widespread animal abuse that often goes unpunished.
We’ve uncovered piglets beaten to death with hammers, baby cows frozen in dead piles at dairy farms, and chicks shredded on their first day of life in the egg industry. All of this is hidden behind closed doors, away from the public eye.
You Can Take Action Today
The good news is that defending animals from suffering is easier than you might think.
Millions around the world have decided to replace meat, dairy, and eggs with endless cruelty-free foods. Whether you’re looking for plant-based versions of your favorite comfort foods or want to try new, healthy recipes, the Love Veg movement is the perfect place to start.
Here at Animal Equality, we believe no animals should suffer – whether monkeys, pigs, cows, or chickens. Will you join the fight against animal cruelty today?
LIVE KINDLY
With rich emotional lives and unbreakable family bonds, farmed animals deserve to be protected.
You can build a kinder world by replacing animal food products with plant‑based ones.
