Medical research facilities in the U.S. frequently use animals for research, and that often includes primates like macaque monkeys. While reasonable debate exists over whether or not this is appropriate, hopeful there's one thing we can all agree on: that these monkeys should be treated with care and that there should be significant oversight of the process.
Unfortunately, neither of those things were true for
100 macaques who recently were terrorized during a severe traffic collision - with several being euthanized after they escaped from their captors.
Sign the petition to demand accountability and justice!After the 100 monkeys had been crated, forced onto a plane from the island nation of Mauritius, and flown to JFK airport in New York, handlers then pushed their containers into a trailer where they were all held in close confinement together. A pickup truck driver was towing their crates through Pennsylvania when suddenly a dump truck smashed into the precious animal cargo - busting open the trailer's doors in the process and throwing crate after crate of macaques across the road.
Several monkeys, leaping at the chance to escape, fled the scene. Authorities later located the animals and
euthanized at least three of them, for unexplained reasons.The surviving animals, after having endured this shocking experience in which they must have all been terrified and confused,
are nonetheless still going to be sent into the lives of servitude and captivity, as originally intended.
All 100 of these monkeys were innocent. They were innocent at the time of original capture, at the time of being loaded into crates like lifeless cargo, at each time of transit, and during the frightening traffic collision.
Yet these creatures have been treated as though they're accountable, some even to the point of death. After having survived all this trauma, confusion, and poor treatment, the upwards of 95 remaining monkeys deserve a life of peace.
Sign the petition to insist that U.S. federal officials hold all those involved in transporting these monkeys accountable, and demand that the rest of the macaques be sent to a reputable sanctuary!