These are crowned or Madras macaques, or sombrero monkeys, a primate genetically very similar to humans and the ideal guinea pig for drug and vaccine experiments. The Chinese embassy has denied the news, saying it is misinformation, but environmentalists remain concerned about the proposal. Farmers, on the other hand, strongly agree, increasingly concerned about the damage these animals cause to crops.
Colombo () – The Sri Lankan government announced that it has received a proposal from China to export 100,000 Madras macaques, sparking protests from environmentalists, who oppose the decision and point out that there are no legal provisions that allow exporting large quantities of wild animals to other countries.
“The export of wild animals will not help bring foreign currency to the country. According to the law, our country cannot export animals for profit, as we have signed an agreement that prevents the sale of wild animals,” said environmental activist Nayanaka Ranwella.
Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says he received the proposal from a Chinese delegation that visited Sri Lanka and explained that the primates will go to 1,000 Chinese zoos. As environmentalists fear the animals are being used for scientific experiments or even for food, the Chinese embassy in Colombo issued a press release denying the news and claiming it is a “disinformation” campaign.
The crowned macaque is an endemic species in Sri Lanka and, although it is not protected by the country, it is included in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature because it is in danger of extinction. According to environmentalists, an order for a large number of monkeys was also received from the United States, which already imported 482,000 specimens for experimental purposes between 2000 and 2020. Indeed, sombrero monkeys are legally and illegally traded internationally due to their similarity. genetics with humans, which makes them ideal guinea pigs for testing drugs and vaccines.
According to Amaraweera, Sri Lanka has a population of 3 million crowned macaques (a figure environmental activists say is only 200,000). This animal species is also well known for the damage it causes to crops, which according to some estimates would mean a loss of $19.3 million. “Exporting monkeys is not the solution,” Ranwella explained. “We have already proposed other ways to protect crops, but nobody in the government is willing to listen to us.”
Many farmers, on the other hand, agree with the government’s proposal. Some farmers in the Anuradhapura area told that the problem is not new: “We have had problems with monkeys in the past. Now the situation has just gotten worse.” Consequently, the government has allowed farmers to kill a number of crop-damaging animals, removing them from the list of protected animals.
