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50,000 people tell Mauritius to end monkey trade

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Petition delivered to Mauritius Tourism Minister

Our petition asking the Government of Mauritius to stop the suffering of monkeys was delivered to the island’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism this week.

We’re delighted that the petition to Hon. Charles Gaëtan Xavier-Luc Duval was signed by over 50,000 people.

Mauritius is one of the world’s largest suppliers of live monkeys to laboratories for use in cruel experiments. In 2015, over 7000 monkeys were exported overseas to laboratories, including 1,371 to the UK.  

Travel companies Thomas Cook, Thomson, First Choice, Virgin, Kuoni and STA Travel have taken their concerns about the Mauritius monkey trade to ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents), the UK’s largest travel association. ABTA has agreed to discuss the impact of the monkey export trade on tourism with the Mauritius Government.

Cruelty Free International Chief Executive, Michelle Thew said: “There is global opposition to the trade in monkeys from Mauritius. The suffering and cruelty inflicted on these intelligent and sentient animals is incompatible with the country’s objective of becoming a popular eco-tourist holiday destination.”