Africa: Primate Protection

Mauritius, a popular destination for European holidaymakers, is one of the world's largest exporters of long-tailed macaques for the global research and toxicity testing industry and the main supplier to Europe, exporting thousands of animals every year. In 2021, there was a significant increase in the number of monkeys exported, with over 10,000 individuals sent overseas to laboratories in countries like Spain, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Canada and the USA.

Crammed into small transit crates, the monkeys are transported from Mauritius as cargo by air. Air France is the main airline known to be involved, and other airlines that fly monkeys out of Mauritius include Safe Air (based in Kenya) and Wamos Air (based in Spain).

Time and time again, our pioneering and hard-hitting investigations have exposed the brutality and misery inflicted on monkeys in the chain of supply from the trapping fields to the laboratory cage.

Source https://crueltyfreeinternational.org/end-the-trade-in-primates

17 September 2025: Monkeys from Mauritius imported by California testing laboratory

Long-tailed macaques in Mauritius monkey farm
Cruelty Free International

Action for Primates has received an alert that on 16th September 2025, around 500 long-tailed macaques were exported from Mauritius by Les Campeches LTEE, a primate farm located in Riviere Noire. They were transported by air from Mauritius to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, from where SmartLynx Malta then transported them to the USA—scheduled to arrive at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in the early hours of 17th September. We estimate that the monkeys were subjected to a gruelling ordeal of almost 40 hours from leaving Mauritius, involving multiple flights and stops.

The importer—Valley Biosystems in Sacramento, California—is a contract testing company. On 15th May 2025, this facility received an official warning notice by the United States Department of Agriculture for an alleged violation of federal laws relating to the construction and maintenance of housing used for non-human primates. The official warning notice was issued after the deaths of two monkeys who became entangled and injured in their enclosures.

Latest export data show that during the first six months of 2025, 5,707 long-tailed macaques were exported from Mauritius to the USA, France, Spain and Great Britain, with 1,459 individuals exported in just one month—June.

Action for Primates has recently raised concerns after uncovering information that points to a failure by Mauritius to comply with its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in issuing permits for the export of long-tailed macaques—a CITES Appendix II listed species—and their export from Mauritius during which they are subjected to unacceptable and inhumane conditions during lengthy air transportation, involving multiple international flights and layovers. For further information: https://tinyurl.com/2w2jahar and https://tracyk.substack.com/p/probe-points-to-rule-breach-in-mauritius.

This is an unconscionable and inhumane trade, involving much suffering and distress to sentient, intelligent and social animals. Please be a voice for these monkeys:

• E-mail the following Mauritius agencies, telling them that the international reputation of their country as a holiday destination is tarnished by their involvement in this brutal trade in monkeys:

  • Mauritius Embassy in your country: https://www.embassypages.com/mauritius

  • Mauritius Ministry of Tourism and Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (click for sample E-mail message)

• Let SmartLynx Malta know how cruel and inhumane this is (click for sample E-mail message)