Environmentalists are totally against Sri Lanka’s Monkeys exported to China to be tasted raw
Sri Lanka, which is undergoing many problems, is now looking for solutions to another new issue of exporting 100000 monkeys. Environmentalists are accusing it is trying to find foreign exchange through controversial animal cruelty. They declare that they will never allow this attempt.
In recent days, the issue of exporting monkeys to China had become the main topic in the country. However, according to the Wildlife Protection Act, there are no legal provisions to export a large number of wild animals to other countries.
“Exporting wild animals will not help in bringing in foreign exchange to the country. According to the Act, our country cannot export animals for money as we have signed an agreement not to engage in the sale of wild animals,” said Environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella.
However, it has been reported that the wife of a senior official of the Coconut Development Board has been involved behind the scenes with this program.”
Environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella said recently that according to investigations conducted by them, the government is planning to send 100,000 monkeys to China for their brains to be eaten raw while they are still alive.
Moreover, he said that a special meal preparation method is underway in China, which involves eating the monkeys’ brains in the raw while they are still alive.
Also, it was reported that an order for a large number of monkeys was received from America as well. These monkeys have a similar body structure to that of the humans, so they would be used in laboratories to conduct final medical tests.
Sri Lankan Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera’s announcement that authorities were considering exporting 100,000 endangered toque macaque monkeys to a private Chinese company has sparked protests from animal rights activists.
While the toque macaque, which is endemic to Sri Lanka, features in the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list of endangered animals, it is not a protected species in Sri Lanka.
Amaraweera said last week the Chinese proposal to import the toque macaques for more than 1,000 of the country’s zoos was being evaluated by a government-appointed expert committee.
But, China has denied a claim by the Sri Lankan government that Beijing has expressed interest in importing 100,000 toque macaque monkeys from the island nation and said such media reports are disinformation.
The monkey business has become a sensational topic after Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said a visiting Chinese delegation has submitted a business proposal and top officials from the Department of National Zoological Gardens, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the Ministry of Agriculture had a preliminary discussion on the proposal.
Chinese Embassy in Colombo said in a press release that it has noticed “recent disinformation on local and foreign media about Sri Lanka to export “100 thousands” of “endangered” toque macaque monkeys to a Chinese private company for “experimental purpose”, as well as detailed clarifications by the Minister of Agriculture and the Cabinet Spokesperson of Sri Lanka thereafter.
The Embassy said it had also checked with relevant authorities in Beijing.
Ranwella requested the government not to export the monkeys, but instead to take a decision to export the parliamentarians who have ruined the country.
“Because of these monkeys a large share of crops are being destroyed. But exporting them is not a solution. We have already proposed solutions to protect the crops, but none in the government are even prepared to listen to them,” Ranwella added.
