OPPOSE CRUEL MONKEY SLAUGHTER IN INDIA

Farmers are being handed out gun licences to shoot monkeys at will. The resulting blood - bath of dying and injured simians must be opposed by all animal lovers!                                               

Officials are demanding the lifting of the ban on the export of monkeys to be sold to laboratories for scientific research. This is a fate more cruel than death!

The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayan foothills is home to troupes of Rhesus Macaques and Langurs. The destruction of their natural habitat has forced monkeys to help themselves to farmers crops.

While this is a serious problem for farmers, killing monkeys seems the easiest solution, but is not the best. There are other very successful methods for keeping the monkey population in check, such as sterilisation or re-location.

Monkeys are highly evolved beings; very similar to us in their need for attachment and devoted family structure. Slaughtering family members and tearing others away for sale, condemned to a life sentence of inhumane treatment in laboratories is totally unacceptible.

For many years monkeys and humans have lived together in rural areas without the need for large scale culling. In India, all monkeys are considered sacred. They are respected as the special children of Lord Hanuman and as such, are auspicious and their sometimes cheeky behaviour is usually tolerated.

Viewed from any perspective, killing monkeys is totally unnessesary and wrong - ethically, morally, traditionally and culturally.

Farmers are being handed out gun licences to shoot monkeys at will. The resulting blood - bath of dying and injured simians must be opposed by all animal lovers!                                               

Officials are demanding the lifting of the ban on the export of monkeys to be sold to laboratories for scientific research. This is a fate more cruel than death!

The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayan foothills is home to troupes of Rhesus Macaques and Langurs. The destruction of their natural habitat has forced monkeys to help themselves to farmers crops.

While this is a serious problem for farmers, killing monkeys seems the easiest solution, but is not the best. There are other very successful methods for keeping the monkey population in check, such as sterilisation or re-location.

Monkeys are highly evolved beings; very similar to us in their need for attachment and devoted family structure. Slaughtering family members and tearing others away for sale, condemned to a life sentence of inhumane treatment in laboratories is totally unacceptible.

For many years monkeys and humans have lived together in rural areas without the need for large scale culling. In India, all monkeys are considered sacred. They are respected as the special children of Lord Hanuman and as such, are auspicious and their sometimes cheeky behaviour is usually tolerated.

Viewed from any perspective, killing monkeys is totally unnessesary and wrong - ethically, morally, traditionally and culturally.

We, the undersigned people of the world are deeply concerned about the proposed culling and selling for scientific research of monkeys in Himachal Pradesh.

The plight of the farming community facing destruction of crops is serious and must be addressed.

However, there are better, more humane ways to deal with this problem.

The fate of monkeys that are sold to laboratories for scientific research is worse than death. The experiments carried out on them involve horrendous pain, suffering and fear.

Culling (shooting) monkeys is inhumane and involves much suffering. Animals are often left injured or die a slow painful death, while their grieving relatives helplessly look on.

Please re-consider sterilisation and relocation to remote natural habitats. This is a very successful method and will leave everyone's consciences clear.

We thank you for your kind consideration.