After the announcement by the Sri Lankan Agriculture Minister regarding the export of 100,000 endangered toque macaque monkeys to a private Chinese company, animal rights activists held a protest, as reported by Voice of America.
The toque macaque is an endemic species in Sri Lanka and is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list, though it is not a protected species within Sri Lanka.
Following the announcement, conservationists and animal rights activists expressed concerns, stating that they doubt Chinese zoos can accommodate 100,000 toque macaque monkeys and suspect that the monkeys are more likely to be used for laboratory testing.
According to Sri Lankan authorities, farmers perceive the approximately 3 million toque macaques in the country as a significant threat due to their crop-damaging behavior.
Samaraweera stated that toque monkeys are the primary culprits causing crop damage, and despite previous government efforts to control their population, they have been unsuccessful.
Conservationists fear the toque macaques may be used for lab tests, as reported by Voice of America. Four conservation groups criticized the move, questioning the credibility of housing 100,000 macaques in just 18 Chinese zoos.
The Chinese company involved, Zhejiang Wuhu Animal Breeding Co. Ltd, has not responded to the issue. The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka denied knowledge of the request, emphasizing China’s commitment to wildlife protection and international obligations under CITES.