Endangered Macaques at Risk: The Unsettling Reality of Primate Trafficking

 Sri Lanka is currently grappling with an alarming situation as animal welfare organizations and concerned citizens express their distress over a dubious proposal. A Chinese company has reportedly offered to buy 100,000 Macaca sinica macaques, an endemic and globally endangered species in Sri Lanka. Amid the country's severe economic crisis, the government may be tempted to accept the proposal.

The macaques are allegedly destined for various Asian zoos, but animal rights activists suspect a more sinister purpose. Concerns are growing that the large-scale export is intended for Chinese research labs seeking test subjects for experimentation. RARE Sri Lanka, an animal welfare organization, has also raised the possibility of the macaques being slaughtered for their meat or traded for their body parts in traditional Chinese medicine.

Navin Dissanayake, a Sri Lankan politician, has denounced the mass export as an abomination that threatens the nation's biodiversity and violates its laws for the protection of fauna and flora.

As the story gains media attention and sparks protests from animal rights activists, China's embassy in Sri Lanka has weighed in. The issue is now being reviewed by authorities in Beijing, who claim the National Forest and Grassland Administration, responsible for importing and exporting wild animals and plant species, is unaware of the proposal.

While it is hoped that the macaques will not be removed from Sri Lanka now or in the future, the grim reality of primate trafficking remains. Hundreds of macaques have vanished from Thai temples, while countless others have been captured and sent to research centers in the US and Europe. A recent report by One Voice highlights that nearly 10,000 Java macaques ended up in European laboratories within a single year, emphasizing the urgency of addressing this grave issue.