What's to be the Fate of 1,000 Lab Monkeys: Back to Cambodia, A New Home in South Texas, or Death?

The fate of 1,000 endangered monkeys federal prosecutors say were illegally captured in Cambodia and imported to Houston laboratory testing hangs in the balance, as authorities, Charles River Laboratories, and PETA wrestle over whether the animals will be destroyed, returned to their smugglers, or rehomed in a South Texas monkey sanctuary.

In late 2022, a Florida federal grand jury indicted eight Cambodian officials and providers of research monkeys for engaging in a remarkably sloppy five-year scheme to violate animal welfare laws by passing off poached monkeys as captive-bred. In some cases, captive-bred long-tailed macaques, aka crab-eating macaques, aka cute li'l fuzzy-faced creatures, deemed unsuitable for export were euthanized and their documentation transferred to poached impostors sent in their stead, according to the indictment. The eight defendants face felony charges carrying up to 20 years each on multiple smuggling charges.

Filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida — many of the monkeys were flown through Miami — the charges outline an alleged five-year scheme where Cambodian officials greenlit the capture of 3,000 "unofficial" macaques in exchange for cash payments.


https://www.houstonpress.com/news/1000-illegally-obtained-lab-monkeys-in-texas-limbo-15319790