Kenya Airways (KQ) has confirmed it will stop transporting monkeys from Mauritius to the US once the existing contract expires.
The national carrier has been flying the primates from the Indian Ocean Island to the US for laboratory experiments.
KQ Chairman Michael Joseph told Business Daily that the airline will cease airlifting monkeys and other wild animals used in scientific research when the current contract expires at the end of February.
“We will not renew the contract that expires at the end of February,” said Joseph.
The announcement comes days after a truck transporting the long-tailed Macaques monkeys bred on a farm in Mauritius crashed in Danville, Pennsylvania last week, sparking criticism from animal rights activists in the US.
Kenya Airways had shipped 100 experimental lab monkeys from Mauritius to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York last week. From there, the monkeys were placed on a truck that later crashed on Route 54 near I-80 in rural Pennsylvania on Friday before some of them escaped, prompting residents to join police in their search in nearby woods.
The shipment was heading to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-approved quarantine facility and laboratory in Florida.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has since opened a probe into the incident amid protests from animal rights activists.
US animal rights lobby PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) welcomed KQ’s decision to “do away with this cruel and heinous business.”
“Monkeys belong in the wild, not in laboratories, where their most basic needs, including home, family, and community, are better met,” the lobby said.
Nyani zinabeba nyani wenzake…
Nyani zinabeba nyani wenzake wapelekee wazungu
Monkey business is cruel and…
Monkey business is cruel and heinous…Well. Homosapiens have always been cruel to others much less to animals.Man being on top of the food chain,he is merely using other animals to maintain that dominance.If a vaccine or medicine could be discovered by experiments on animals ,that helps human beings would the animal right activists reject its efficacy? What alternative are they offering?
If breaking a monkey’s leg is necessary albeit “cruel” for an experiment that would help human broken legs heal better, isnt that agood thing? Iam sure if PETA would send some volunteer staff to the research labs. the scientists would welcome these real “guinea pigs”…
Last week awoman’s mutilated body was found in a suitcase.Today, amutilated body of a 5 year old was discovered in a shallow grave.Think of how many such
heinous unreported cases go on all over the world.Man is indeed a BRUTE,and if we can use animals to tame that BRUTALITY,i say the gains out weight the animal cruelty .My two cents(sense).
Well, no need to worry. They…
Well, no need to worry. They will continue to transport our thieving politicians monkeys are they go to die in foreign hospitals.
Oh Bobby ?. Politicians are…
Oh Bobby ?. Politicians are the ? ?
Man kisii makindu lol
Man kisii makindu lol
I like the way these…
I like the way these managers twist things. Ok, they are talking about Monkeys, but the contract is for Animal transport. Is KQ stopping transport of all Animals, or just Monkeys?