Monkeys Go out of the Frying Pan …
… into Primate Products. Alert readers may recall the horrifying photos of mutilated monkeys at this facility that were leaked earlier this year. Shockingly, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was looking for somewhere to “retire” a group of owl monkeys who had been used in experiments, it couldn’t seem to think of a better place than a company that is in the business of ripping monkeys away from their homes in the wild and making restraint devices for them to be tormented in.
Yes, you may well scratch your head. Incredibly, it gets worse. According to the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF), Primate Products—apparently after unsuccessfully looking for a buyer—callously gave the monkeys to a horrendous roadside zoo, Everglades Outpost, apparently without bothering to ascertain whether or not the zoo had the space or the know-how to properly care for the monkeys. Turns out that it doesn’t seem to have either.
Owl monkeys mate for life, prefer to live in small family groups (parents and offspring), are very territorial, and can become easily stressed if their living conditions are disturbed. Any disruption can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and even heart attacks. According to reports from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspections—which resulted in the agency citing Everglades Outpost for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act—after 61 of the monkeys were delivered to Everglades Outpost and carelessly placed into group cages, 11 died within hours, and nine more died within several days. Primate Products was apparently so disinterested in whether the zoo could care for the monkeys that it transferred 31 more there a week later, and six were dead within two days.
The USDA inspection report concludes that Everglades Outpost demonstrated “a lack of knowledge and experience regarding basic housing and social needs of this species” and that “the sudden group housing … caused overt behavior stress and physical trauma.”
ARFF is demanding a full investigation, and PETA has called on the CDC—which has also purchased monkeys from Primate Products for use in experiments—to follow the lead of other organizations that are horrified by Primate Products’ callousness and cruelty and cut ties with this abusive facility once and for all.
Written by Alisa Mullins
