Renowned musician speaks out in support of Save Our Monkeys campaign
On learning of the paradise holiday island’s role in breeding and exporting monkeys to laboratories around the world, Moby stated:
“Mauritius is famous for its beautiful landscapes and its blend of cultures, so I was shocked to discover the truth about this idyllic island’s horrific trade and export of monkeys for experiments. Please support Save Our Monkeys and call upon Mauritius to end this cruel trade. Monkeys deserve the right to a free and happy life too.”
Mauritius is a popular holiday destination, yet few tourists who visit the island are aware of the suffering that is inflicted on the country's own monkey population.
Hidden away from the sun, sea and sand of the holiday brochures lies a controversial industry that breeds and exports monkeys to laboratories around the world.
Tens of thousands of monkeys are held in farms across the country, many of whom were captured from the wild and imprisoned in these farms for breeding. Denied their freedom in the lush foliage of their jungle homes, these monkeys spend their lives behind bars on concrete.
Their offspring are exported overseas in small wooden crates as cargo on airlines, often on the same planes in which tourists travel. They are destined for lifetimes of suffering in western laboratories.
Mauritius is one of the world’s largest suppliers of monkeys for experiments. During 2014, 8,991 monkeys were exported to laboratories primarily in Europe and the USA. Yet, this trade is economically insignificant compared with tourism. Less than 2% of Mauritian export income involves monkeys, a small fraction of the tourism industry.
The country is seeking to expand its tourist industry but as ethical tourism becomes more important to holidaymakers, knowledge of the key role Mauritius plays in the cruel trade in monkeys will only tarnish its international reputation as a holiday paradise.
