Monkeys Infected With Transmissible Diseases Are Trucked Across U.S.—Where’s the Transportation Department?
In 1983, at 17 years old, the author traveled to Borneo with scientist Dr. Biruté Galdikas to study orangutans. While there, they became fascinated by long-tailed macaques—intelligent and social monkeys that play an important role in their ecosystems. These monkeys help spread seeds, serve as prey and predators, and live near river edges.
Unfortunately, macaques are heavily exploited for biomedical research. Over 1.5 million have been taken from the wild since 1975, mainly from Asia and Mauritius. Their ability to live near human-altered environments makes them easy targets for capture. Once caught, they suffer cruel conditions—many die during transport. The ones that survive end up in laboratories, but research on them has not led to significant medical advancements. Their biology is too different from humans, and the stress of captivity skews test results.
The macaque trade also poses health risks. Monkeys can carry dangerous diseases, yet U.S. regulations for imported primates are weak. The CDC’s quarantine process does not effectively detect infections, putting both human and animal health in danger. In 2022, a truck carrying macaques crashed in Pennsylvania, raising public concern about the secrecy of the industry.
In late 2022, authorities uncovered a smuggling operation that illegally brought wild-caught macaques into U.S. labs. This trade threatens wild populations and undermines ethical research. Although the U.S. has paused wild macaque imports, the issue isn’t solved. The fight continues to protect these intelligent animals from cruelty.
Macaques are resilient, but human actions are pushing them toward extinction. Instead of exploiting them, we should seek ethical and effective alternatives for scientific research. The suffering of these animals must end.
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
