Photos: Giant Zika Mosquitoes Invade Miami, Declare ‘We Love Monkey Prisons’
As the Zika threat in Florida continues to rise—with more than 1,000 cases confirmed so far and a new neighborhood in Miami identified as a Zika transmission zone earlier this month—two giant costumed “mosquitoes” hit the streets in Miami, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign stop, and led PETA protesters in giving away keychains that depict a mosquito looming over the state of Florida and proclaiming, “Send More Tourists, Any Blood Type. Fla. Monkey Labs: Zika Breeding Grounds.”
PETA is calling for the closure of the massive monkey laboratories located in Hendry County, including the Mannheimer Foundation, Bioculture (BC US), Primera Science Center, and Primate Products, Inc., where PETA exposed violations of animal-protection regulations. These facilities confine thousands of monkeys to unhygienic, outdoor open-air cages—conditions ripe for mosquito breeding and the infection of large populations of captive monkeys, who then become virus reservoirs but often without showing any symptoms.
“Florida’s swampy monkey prisons are rolling out the red carpet for Zika-transmitting mosquitoes,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “PETA’s keychains point out that one key to combating this public health crisis is shutting down these cruel and dangerous facilities immediately.”
What You Can Do
Urge Hendry County, Florida, to shut this facility down.
Note: PETA supports animal rights, opposes all forms of animal exploitation, and educates the public on those issues. It does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party.
