Please make a tax-deductible gift today. A Khmer version of this story can be found onFocus Ready For TomorrowandSoutheast Asia Globe. The Apsara National Authority (ANA) captured 16 macaque monkeys that had been living in and around the Bayon Temple compound. One. These guys were playing for keeps. Members work with our team to shape our editorial direction and hold us accountable. While not the top importer by quantity, the UK most frequently imported specimens, with nearly 20 shipments from 2018 to 2021. I swear I am not making this up. We provide an element of an answer because the numbers provided to CITES do not match with Cambodias farming capabilities.. The farm exported more than 40,700 live macaques to the U.S. from 2020 to 2022, according to data published by the head of Cambodias Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The removal of the males leaves the entire troop defenceless and destroys bloodlines, the email said. They are typically bred in large facilities in Asia. Known trade of long-tailed macaques from Cambodia (2004-2020) Data annually submitted to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, tracked the steady rise of Cambodia's contributions to the monkey trade since the early 2000s. If the Forestry Administration considers them to be new measures, it is unclear what it had been doing since Vanny Bio Research was certified to operate in 2004. FACEBOOK. In that same period, for the first time recorded by CITES, Canada also imported more than 2,000 live macaques directly from Cambodia. The U.S. imported the highest number of live macaques from Cambodia during each of the years corruption is alleged, totaling nearly 70,000 monkeys, according to trade data. The monkey was later killed by local authorities who feared it might attack again. Large swaths of Cambodia are designated protected areas, but while laws supposedly safeguard these Largest monkey farm in Cambodia meets demands for monkey specimens and live animals for years before being charged for wildlife trafficking. In 2020-21 this increased to $10,000 and in 2021-22 it increased again to between $20,000-$24,000.. On top of that, Canadian labs bought an additional 159 live monkeys from the U.S. that originally came from Cambodia. By WA Admin | March 13, 2020 | Categories: In the News, Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team | Tags: animal abuse, animal rescue, apsara, filming, Forestry Administration, macaque monkeys, macaques, Ministry of Environment Cambodia, monkey, monkey rescue, monkeys, vos, Wildlife Alliance | 2 Comments Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! As we left, the woman told us that monkeys in Cambodia sometimes get frisky if you feed them, especially the monkeys at Angkor Wat. The database rarely specifies the part of the macaque. Most cynos are used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. We think they will be safe there, he said. Thanks for commenting. The world is a village. Major pharmaceutical and biotech companies contacted by Science either declined to comment on the issue or did not respond. Government officials have steadfastly denied the corruption charges. This man is a long-term suspect who weve been tracking down for some time. At the time, Masphal Kry, deputy director of wildlife and biodiversity, was on his way to an international meeting about trade regulations for endangered species. Monkey Shelter Cambodia, we care monkey. Thank you so much for reading. Canada brought in more than 26,500 millilitres of Cambodian-origin macaque specimens from 2017 to 2019, which was a larger volume than any other country trading with the U.S. The stump-tailed macaque lives in the rainforest and eats small insects, seeds, fruits, tubers, and other plants. The ANA emphasised that no monkeys would be harmed or killed as a result of this operation. Cambodia now exports the largest share of cynosmore than 29,000 in 2020, the vast majority of which were shipped to the United States. Most of the macaques live in the areas around Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Baksei Chamkrong temples and near the Tonle Om river. Nearly 30,000 entered the country last year, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which regulates the import of nonhuman primates. Your support ensures great journalism and education on underreported and systemic global issues, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Greed should never come before responsible conservation.. As a country, Cambodia traded more than 33,000 live macaques in 2020, more than half of the recorded global macaque trade that year. Whistleblowers and others in possession of sensitive information of public concern can now securely and confidentially share tips, documents, and data with the Pulitzer Centers Rainforest Investigations Network (RIN), its editors, and journalists. The animals were reportedly captured from the wild in Cambodia and falsely labeled as captive-bred. Omaliss did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In total, the indictment alleges that 2,634 wild-caught macaques with a declared value of $9.3 million were illegally brought into the U.S. Nao told RFA that only he had the authority to sign . U.S. federal court documents allege this international wildlife smuggling ring used the legal trade of captive-bred monkeys to launder thousands of wild-caught monkeys into U.S. laboratories over at least four years. America is the centre of the global trade in primates for research, said Sarah Kite, co-founder of the animal rights group Action for Primates. Buyukmihci, who founded the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, said the units used to measure the specimens provide clues. We need to consider what species are actually making the world go round, which species are helping to conserve, preserve and regenerate natural areas.. According to Ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra, the number of rare pig-tailed macaques in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province has increased to over 2,000 in the last ten years, despite the fact that their global population has decreased. So, illegal trade and trafficking of the species is against the law.. Three. 12,893 people . In what Kite called an ironic tragedy, the November indictment followed the arrest of an official from the Cambodian Forestry Administration which enforces CITES within the country in the U.S. for wildlife trafficking. ANA spokesman Long Kosal on Sunday strenuously denied that any macaques had been culled. Some of the must see include Ta Prohm, where Tomb Raider was filmed, Banteays Srei and Kdei and Bayon. Washington, DC 20036 Former Hwang Colleague Faked Monkey Data, U.S. Says. Besides the ecological impacts to the dwindling number of wild monkeys, veterinary scientists say mixing poached animals with the farmed population could pose a global public health risk by potentially exporting diseases to foreign labs. We will take them there first so that specialists can observe them and take care of their health. That was a while ago. Suite #615 This could magnify the potential illegality within the primate trade since one monkey is likely sliced and diced into multiple types of specimen, from blood to brains. Each macaque was allegedly worth $220 of tea money, a colloquialism used in the Kingdom to refer to a bribe. There were some members of the public who frowned upon the monkey removal raid, according to Kosal. The U.S. imported the highest number of live macaques from Cambodia during each of the years corruption is alleged, totaling nearly 70,000 monkeys, according to trade data. Pig-tailed macaques live in dense and mixed forests in families of five to six and in large groups of up to forty. It is an amazing destination and definitely one of the bucket list places to visit once in a lifetime. Their details are as follows: The Apsara Authority - info@apsaraauthority.gov.kh The Cambodian Government Forestry Administration - info@maff.gov.kh or on Facebook Representatives from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Alliance, Fauna Fauna & Flora International, Conservation International and WWF-Greater Mekong all declined to comment on the subject, pointing to its political sensitivity. Preap Socheat, a specialist from the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in Takeo provinces Bati district who took part in the removal of the macaques at the Angkor Archaeological Park, told The Post on Sunday that more than 20 of them were relocated. Thats because labs there routinely dissected Cambodian macaques to re-export hundreds of shipments of dismembered body parts to Canada and across Europe. The now-indicted Omaliss, who also serves as the chairman of the CITES Scientific Authority for Terrestrial Forest and Wildlife Resources in Cambodia, said in a 2016 article by Khmer Times, a widely considered pro-government outlet, that no licence for the capture of wild macaques had been approved since 2010. Whether they might potentially have been wild caught, Kite said. there are a lot of new baby were born in temple area. Knowingly or not, the labs re-exporting these specimens could be further laundering macaques poached from the wild in Cambodia, enabling importers to look past the Kingdoms alleged corruption. Who is Monica Bertagnolli, Bidens pick to lead NIH? It's illegal to own macaques, and most other wild animals, as pets in Cambodia. Based on these numbers, the researchers calculated the farms would have needed to breed almost double their stock to about 103,000 macaques to support the roughly 33,000 exported in 2020. Thats the only way to ensure theyre not getting wild-caught animals, she says. We ran to the road pursued part way by a troop of monkeys. Angkor Wat is such a massive tourist draw that Siem Reap has its own airport. Indictment of monkey importers could disrupt U.S. drug and vaccine research. If they appear to be in good health they will be released into the wild again but into an area that is free of tourists and other people. In November, six employees were indicted for wildlife trafficking. Regardless, the pandemic surge of macaque exports shocked researchers. Taking the time, even though the mind boggles at doing these calculations, to arrive at a feasible number gives us that backing, Warne said. Youre not growing it in a test tube. In the morning we were anxious to head back to Angkor Wat but when we left the house we saw two huge Cambodian monkeys blocking our entrance to the road. Thailand is also thought to have a sizable population of this species. They carry diseases and can easily bite or scratch people.. Anything that happens within the American import and export trade will have repercussions on the supply chain throughout the world.. We decided to walk straight through them making a lot of noise and waving our arms. She concluded the number of live macaques involved in the specimen trade could be huge.. Dont yet have access? They spend a lot of time in tall trees, jumping from branch to branch in the morning. They were almost like an intelligent, strategic street gang. She was probably the ringleader. Largest monkey farm in Cambodia meets demands for monkey specimens and live animals for years before being charged for wildlife trafficking. This is all a for-profit trade. The findings of a 2023 study highlight the incredulity that Cambodia is meeting market demands legally. According to CITES trade data, Italy imported the largest quantity of nearly 41,000 specimens in two massive shipments in 2020 and 2021. We are asking: Is the legal trade serving as a loophole for illegal trade? said Chaber, senior author of the study with other researchers from Adelaide University. The monkeys started to amass in the clearing in front of our room. Fish and Wildlife Service. The species is nomadic and roams through the forest, eating fruits, flowers, grains, and insects foraged from trees and on the ground. A U.S. warrant has been signed for Omaliss arrest, as of early November. The billion-dollar legal industry draws heavily on the long-tailed macaque species to provide monkeys for medical experiments. The Forestry Administration and the Apsara National Authority (ANA) have collaborated to relocate several particularly aggressive long-tailed macaques from the Angkor Archaeological Park to protect tourists and the temples. "According to a 2020 study conducted by the environment ministry and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS Cambodia), the number of pig-tailed macaques within the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary has increased from 733 in 2010 to at least 1,473 in 2020," he said. The indicted Vanny Bio Research is Cambodias largest monkey exporter in recent years. Youve got the same impact potentially as in the live trade.. His superior, Forestry Administration Director General Omaliss Keo, was also charged in the indictment but remains free in Cambodia. In order to get specimens, you have to have the live animal somewhere, said Nedim Buyukmihci, an emeritus professor of veterinary medicine from the University of California-Davis who published a 2023 paper on animal welfare in labs. When the time is right, we will release them into a forest that is part of a wildlife sanctuary guarded by rangers. Over the past years, through personal travels and as an international business professional, I've traveled to over 110 countries. And if its not real, then they are doing something quite questionable, said Regina Warne, lead author of the study. I dont think there are monkeys in the town . The magnificence of Angkor Wat cannot be overstated. The database rarely specifies the part of the macaque. Due to the risk of the activities, this is a global concern, said Anna-Lise Chaber, a public health expert and lecturer at Australias University of Adelaide, who recently published a study on the primate trade. You have to be very very careful when youre around them because they will attack and they are very unpredictable and very territorial. These events deepened pre-existing doubts about Cambodias macaque exports. Cindy Buckmaster, a spokesperson for Americans for Medical Progress, which advocates for the use of animals in scientific studies, says theres not much that companies like Inotivor the labs they sell tocan do to check the provenance of the animals they receive. Story Besides the ecological impacts to the dwindling number of wild monkeys, veterinary scientists say mixing poached animals with the farmed population could pose a global public health risk by potentially exporting diseases to foreign labs. Regarding this case, our authorities are searching for the identity behind those YouTube accounts to question them to take legal action, he said. Photos by Anton L. Delgado for Southeast Asia Globe. Shuffled among alleged transactions is mention of a 2018 internal accounting document from Vanny Bio Research that reflects a $10,000 donation made to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party at the request of Omaliss. The primate industry,worth an estimated$1.25 billion, is overseen by a UN trade convention known asCITES, which legalises the commerce through apermit system,animal welfare regulations,breeding requirementsand other rules. This is not just a national issue since this is an international trade. At the time, Masphal Kry, deputy director of wildlife and biodiversity, was on his way to an international meeting about trade regulations for endangered species. However, some videos of the monkeys being caged and taken away were posted on YouTube by people who accused the authorities of acting immorally, treating the monkeys in an inhumane manner and even killing them. America is the centre of the global trade in primates for research, said Sarah Kite, co-founder of the animal rights group Action for Primates. but it banned the sale of wildlife at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The 102 monkeys were in poor condition, some with wounds and . imports of macaques. Our paper is asking more questions than providing answers. Hi, my name is Hout Nanin. It is unclear if any tangible policy or regulation changes have taken place within Cambodias farms. In general, watchdogs such as Transparency International have long found corruption to be endemic in Cambodia, routinely listing it among the worst in the world on its annual Corruption Perceptions Index. But there is really no difference between the two trades. We had booked a budget guest house. Clearly the mother monkey had alerted her cohorts to the presence of two human patsies that gave away food. On your way to these adventures I hope to provide you with useful information to help you get there. The alleged smuggling ring is part of a global, billion-dollar wildlife trade industry, which in Cambodia has long been under suspicion oftrafficking wild macaquesthrough the legal trade of captive-bred monkeys.Bribes for ministry officials reached tens of thousands of dollars over the years, indicated a U.S. court document, which also noted a hefty donation from Vanny Bio Research to Cambodias ruling political party at the request of the now-indicted director general. Ive seen them steal glasses! She says wild-caught monkeys carry viruses that could infect other animals theyre housed with or humans. "According to a 2020 study conducted by the environment ministry and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS Cambodia), the number of pig-tailed macaques within the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary has increased from 733 in 2010 to at least 1,473 in 2020," he said. They also say labs should find ways to use fewer of these animals. According to CITES data, Cambodia maintained this high level of export in 2021, trading 31,000 macaques. The outbreak of Covid-19 led to a boom in global imports and exports as nations raced to develop vaccines. The statement ended with a ministry promise to seek justice for our officials., The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina did not respond to requests for comment. Thailand is also thought to have a sizable population of this species. Buyukmihci, who founded the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, said the units used to measure the specimens provide clues. That valuation is echoed in. You need more than a day to see the entire complex comfortably so a three-day pass at $40 is actually a bargain. The species, Macaca arctoides, is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. As of now, it's unclear how many may have been taken from the wild, but prosecutors have hinted at thousands. As a country, Cambodia traded more than 33,000 live macaques in 2020, more than half of the recorded global macaque trade that year. The U.S. imported the highest number of live macaques from Cambodia during each of the years corruption is alleged, totaling nearly 70,000 monkeys, according totrade data. Monkeys at Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province. When we cautiously returned to the guest house that evening there were no monkeys to be seen. The monkeys had been disturbing tourists recently and there was some concern that their presence could damage the temple ruins by causing wear and tear on them over time. If this is going to happen, it will not be good for supporting conservation of primates, Omaliss said in the 2016 article. If the U.S. is exporting live macaques or specimens from macaques imported from Cambodia, then obviously there are concerns about the origins. In February, researchersstudiedglobal trade statistics and calculated that on average an individual macaque was worth upwards of $2,000. In a statement released last week, Cambodias ministry of agriculture said it was surprised and saddened by the indictment, and that it was committed to upholding all laws governing the international trade of animals. A version of this story appeared in Science, Vol 378, Issue 6623. All told the area is larger than the 5 boroughs of New York City combined! Nearly seven in 10 of those monkeys landed in the U.S. In 2014, the CITES Management Authority in Cambodia submitted a letter to the CITES Secretariat, which is one of the only public documents with information about the then six breeding facilities in the Kingdom. The company did not respond to a request for comment but in a public release strongly denied any wrongdoing. Alongside these legal concerns, Chaber also points to the risks that mixing wild-caught and captive-bred monkeys could have on global health. Hes one of eight charged as part of an international primate smuggling ring, which includes the director general of Cambodias Forestry Administration, as well as the owner, general manager and four employees of primate supplier Vanny Resources and Bio Research, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. [I told them] these monkeys are no longer afraid of people because people have been feeding them. While Cambodia has farmed macaques for years with the first shipment exported to the U.S. in 2005 the Kingdom cornered the market during the pandemic. Flashing neon lights are everywhere advertising luxury hotels, elaborate shows, and sumptuous buffets. Ancient Angkor Empire Paradise on Earth, How to visit the most secret temples of Cambodia, Things you should know before entering Cambodia, International Union for Conservation of Natures, Wisconsin National Primate Research Centre. The total value of the long-tailed macaque trade was worth around $1.25 billion from 2010 to 2019, with theprimate industry in Cambodiavalued at $11.3 million in 2017. bucket list places to visit once in a lifetime. If the Forestry Administration considers them to be new measures, it is unclear what it had been doing since Vanny Bio Research was certified to operate in 2004. The hosts were nice, gave us a couple of towels and said goodnight. But there is really no difference between the two trades. Bring these reference companions along with you. The ride into Siem Reap is surprising. Anything that happens within the American import and export trade will have repercussions on the supply chain throughout the world.. Nuisance monkeys relocated from temples to zoo to protect tourists, Hun Sen honoured as patron of Buddhist fellowship, PM offers appreciation to workers on Intl Labour Day, Japan plans fireworks display to celebrate ties anniversary, Westerdams return a symbol of Kingdoms care for, Kantha Bopha treats over 70,000 kids in Apr, PM warns extremists who threaten election process, Manet praises medics for Covid-19 sacrifices, Third round of ministry, NGO consultative meetings May 3. Science and AAAS are working tirelessly to provide credible, evidence-based information on the latest scientific research and policy, with extensive free coverage of the pandemic. We saw a complete change in the pattern of the global trade in macaques throughout the pandemic, said Kite, co-founder of animal rights group Action for Primates. The findings of a2023 studyhighlight the incredulity that Cambodia is meeting market demands legally. Cambodias Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has issued a diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh requesting clarification about the arrest and for the release of Mr. Kry and for him to stay at the Cambodian Embassy in Washington, Nao shared. The research community needs to be held accountable for whats happening to this species.. . Long-tailed macaques are considered the most traded primate in the world because of their use in laboratory research, which includes the development of the Covid-19 vaccine. In general, watchdogs such as Transparency International have long found corruption to be endemic in Cambodia, routinely listing it among the worst in the world on its annualCorruption Perceptions Index. He stated that the increase in population numbers for the pig-tailed macaque species demonstrates the successful implementation of the Wildlife Sanctuary Protection and Conservation Plan, which is partially funded by the sale of carbon credits in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. We shooed them but they didnt budge. November 28, 2022. And those were just the ones that we could see! No units of measurement were noted. We arrived exhausted in Siem Reap around 9 PM with our hassle-free Cambodia visas on arrival. The letter stated Cambodia's six operational monkey farms had a total stock of nearly 56,000 macaques in 2014, a year when the Kingdom exported barely 5,000. You can fly direct to Siem Reap from all southeast Asia capital cities and many secondary cities as well. They arent stupid. Thats because labs there routinely dissected Cambodian macaques to re-export hundreds of shipments of dismembered body parts to Canada and across Europe. The indictment, which carries multiple felony charges, will likely exacerbate the shortage of these monkeys, used in everything from drug safety testing to vaccine research, says Dave OConnor, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who studies infectious disease in cynomolgus macaques. We only removed the most active and mean macaques that were causing issues for tourists and the temples. Large swaths of Cambodia are designated protected areas, but while laws supposedly safeguard these En route to a meeting about protecting threatened species, a government official was arrested for smuggling endangered monkeys, raising questions about Cambodias breeding industry. Cambodias exports of long-tailed macaques to the U.S. date back to 2000 and this industry has boomed since then. It depends who you ask, For flying insects, night light hampers upright flight, A new test can pick out Parkinsons disease patients before their symptoms begin, Inflammation could drive lung cancer risk linked to air pollution, Biological syringes could change how drugs are delivered, Indictment of monkey importers could disrupt U.S. research, U.S. blames massive hack of research data on Iran.
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