Monkeys in Immediate Danger; Charles River Laboratories Flouts Transport Requirements: PETA Statement

For Immediate Release:
August 9, 2024

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA primate expert Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel regarding news today that the Canadian Transportation Agency denied a SkyTaxi flight with long-tailed macaques destined for Charles River Laboratories in Montréal following a complaint made by Abolición Vivisección:

Terrified, endangered monkeys originating from a squalid monkey farm in Cambodia have endured more than 28 sweltering hours crammed in a cargo hold of an airplane because Charles River Laboratories has once again been caught flouting international laws that govern the transportation of wildlife. PETA, Abolición Vivisección, Action for Primates, Cheshire Animal Rights Campaigns, and One Voice demand that Charles River immediately arrange care for these monkeys with authorities in Tbilisi, Georgia, where they’re sitting in their own waste, release them to an accredited sanctuary, and stop illegally importing monkeys permanently.

When U.S. officials cut off the greedy company’s ability to bring Cambodia-origin monkeys into the U.S., Charles River pivoted to Canada and relied on an airline, SkyTaxi, that repeatedly demonstrated that it had no business transporting animals. SkyTaxi was denied entry because it’s only licensed to land in Canada if a flight originated in Poland. We urge Canadian officials not to give in to Charles River’s lobbying.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.