Bloomberg’s ‘Monkey Laundering' report wins Outstanding Short Documentary
Bloomberg Investigates’ documentary on the trafficking of monkeys from Cambodia to the United States, has won the 2025 Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Documentary.
‘The Dirty Business of Monkey Laundering’ highlighted the investigation carried out by US government officials into the laundering of wild-caught long-tailed macaques in Cambodia, who were exported to American research laboratories with false paperwork and permits labelled as captive-bred.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honoured the documentary at the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards in New York City.
Sarah Kite, our former Director of Special Projects who continues to advise us, was interviewed as part of the documentary where she described the crucial role that we played by introducing informant Francis Yeung to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents. At the time, Yeung, who was working at Vanny Bio Research, the largest macaque facility in Cambodia and supplier to the USA, contacted us to raise his concerns regarding the trade in macaques to U.S. research companies.
The Bloomberg documentary also included compelling footage obtained during our earlier investigations into the global trade in primates for research, including our ‘Torn From The Wild’ investigation, which exposed the shocking plight of monkeys captured in the wild in Cambodia. We have a long history in investigating this brutal trade, exposing the cruelty and suffering inflicted on long-tailed macaques, as well as raising concerns about an illegal trade in South-East Asia, and the validity of captive breeding claims.
Our CEO, Michelle Thew, said: “Our thanks and congratulations go to the Bloomberg Investigates team, for helping to expose this shocking practice and for the recognition that their documentary has gained. The continued suffering of these intelligent and sentient animals is completely unacceptable. Taking the necessary steps to end of the use of primates, and all animals, in research and testing is long overdue.”