People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) staged a protest outside Ethiopian Airlines’ office in Andheri with a giant idol of a wounded and tormented monkey, urging the airline to stop transporting endangered long-tailed macaques for use in experiments. PETA alleged that Ethiopian Airlines has flown thousands of monkeys from Mauritius to Southeast Asia for experimentation.
On Wednesday, PETA India supporters gathered outside the office of Ethiopian Airlines in Andheri (E) with a giant idol of a wounded and tormented monkey. This action aimed to urge the airline to stop transporting endangered long-tailed macaques for use in experiments.
PETA India alleged that the airline appears to have ties to an alleged illegal international monkey-smuggling ring. It also alleged that it has flown thousands of monkeys from Mauritius and Southeast Asia for experimentation in the cargo holds of passenger aeroplanes, even though it had previously told PETA Asia that it had a policy against this practice.
The protest was a part of PETA’s campaign against Ethiopian Airlines started in May, which alleged that Ethiopian Airlines flew 250 long-tailed macaques across the Atlantic Ocean to a Florida-based importer that sells monkeys for use in laboratory experiments. According to PETA, “importing monkeys poses a grave and potentially fatal public health risk.” It claimed that monkeys infected with tuberculosis have been imported to North American labs from Mauritius, whereas monkeys from Cambodia have arrived infected with a deadly bacterium due to which the US has classified it as a bio-terrorism agent.
The protestors alleged that Ethiopian Airlines has transported multiple shipments containing hundreds of monkeys who were allegedly illegally taken from their forest homes, according to testimony and evidence presented in a US court earlier this year.
PETA Protest outside the office of Ethiopian Airlines in Andheri (E) | FPJ/ Vijay Gohil
PETA Protest outside the office of Ethiopian Airlines in Andheri (E) | FPJ/ Vijay Gohil
PETA Protest outside the office of Ethiopian Airlines in Andheri (E) | FPJ/ Vijay Gohil
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PETA Protest outside the office of Ethiopian Airlines in Andheri (E)“Last year, the US Department of Agriculture cited the airline for multiple violations of animal protection laws, including failing to provide proper feeding and watering instructions for 336 monkeys who were crammed inside wooden crates and flown nearly 10,000 miles to the US from Mauritius. The airline also imported 584 monkeys into the U.S. without mandatory health certificates, according to US federal citations,” said PETA.
Utkarsh Garg, PETA India campaigns coordinator, said, “Ethiopian Airlines is flying endangered monkeys to their deaths and showing no regard for animal welfare or human health in the process. PETA India calls on the airline to get out of this bloody business and asks travellers to join us in urging the airline to stop.”
