Mauritius: Please put a stop to the cruel trade of monkeys for research

Few people know about Mauritius being the second largest exporter of primates for research. Thousands of monkeys are captured from the wild every year and forced to breed, and they are then bundled off to dubious laboratories overseas where the poor animals are subjected to vivisection and countless other atrociously painful experiments.

Please read about BUAV's laudable campaign below and do sign the petitions and write letters urging the Mauritian Government to put an end to this cruel trade of suffering and despair. Primates, like all other animals, are sentient beings who deserve protective legislation. I hope the government of Mauritius is able to take the wise and compassionate step of putting an end to this trade.

It is true that a lot of money is made from this trade and many try to justify this basing themselves on a variety of reasons such as:
- That the primates are not indigenous to Mauritius
- That the millions of dollars made help support the economy of the country

Both premises are inherently wrong and misguided. Even if some primates might not be indigenous to the island, this does not mean that one should partake in the extreme evil it is to try to get rid of them in any way possible. Sending them off to be vivisected and to suffer countless agonies are not how civilised nations ought to operate. There are now various alternatives to cruel experiments on animals, and all countries must strive to better and make use of those alternatives.We should not be basing ourselves on such an unpardonably discriminatory basis in order to justify causing stress, suffering and pain to sentient beings.

A country can also never make real progress if that progress comes at the cost of the suffering of innocent animals. I would rather be dirt poor, but practising compassion, instead of being wealthy and this money made on the heads and blood of animals crying of pain in laboratories worldwide. We only have one life to live, but we have the opportunity of trying to nourish our souls by being compassionate and acknowledging that, for whatever reason, causing an animal to suffer can never be justified.

The image of Mauritius as the purported 'Paradise Island' has been greatly harmed by the way we treat our animals.Animal welfare legislation are not only absent in the country, but the country also engages in dishonourable practises such as these! We must, as a nation, strive to promote animal welfare and stop the export of monkeys. It is only when the animals of the country have legislation protecting them against such cruelty that the island will really deserve the above praise.

The capture and trapping of monkeys in Mauritius must be put to a stop once and for all. Please read and sign below:

 http://www.buav.org/our-campaigns/primate-campaign/

http://www.buav.org/our-campaigns/primate-campaign/buav-primate-trade-investigations/trading-in-cruelty/take-action

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mauritius_vivisection_trade/