Alarm in Mauritius: Animal Experiments Confirmed, Loopholes Looming in Welfare Law
- J Talbot
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
Mauritius has long been under scrutiny for its role in the international primate trade, exporting thousands of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to laboratories worldwide. But a new development has raised fresh alarm: the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Safety, in a recent interview, confirmed that animal experiments are already being carried out in Mauritius, and that amendments to the Animal Welfare Act will be made “where necessary.”
While this statement may appear routine, it masks a dangerous shift — one that could entrench Mauritius as a testing hub for invasive and terminal animal experiments, with devastating consequences for both wildlife and the country’s reputation.
Why This Statement Is Alarming
Potential Expansion of Testing
“Amendments” could mean broadening the categories of animals that can legally be experimented on, potentially extending beyond primates to other species.
See news reports on report of Clinglobal Mauritius testing on dogs and cats betwen 2019-2020 with animals supplied by the Mauritius Society For Aimal Welfare (MSAW) ! clearly against the laws currently still in effect.
It may also include legislative changes to facilitate invasive and terminal testing, legitimizing practices previously carried out abroad.
Mauritius as a Loophole Nation
International regulations are tightening worldwide, with the U.S., EU, and others actively reducing reliance on animal testing.
Mauritius risks becoming a regulatory back door, offering companies a jurisdiction with weaker safeguards to conduct experiments outlawed or restricted elsewhere.
The Suspected Drivers: Primate Breeders and Contracting Labs
Behind these developments are suspected lobbying efforts from the powerful primate breeding sector. International laboratory giants have already embedded themselves in Mauritius:
Charles River Laboratories, one of the world’s largest animal testing firms, has acquired 90% of Noveprim, a major Mauritian primate supplier . This marks a strategic move to secure control of the primate pipeline at its source.
Clinglobal / ClinVet (Cynvivo) a multi partner contract research organization, with apparent ties to local primate breeding facility to LCL Cynologics and Les Campêches Ltd. via one of the directors also implicated in the recent dog and cats experimentation case — raising serious questions about how closely the lab operations are tied to Mauritius’ primate breeding businesses.
Together with local primate breeders, these entities can form a powerful lobby that may be pushing government policy toward creating an enabling environment for large-scale animal experimentation, potentially exploiting weaker regulatory frameworks.
Flawed Animal Welfare Law and Loopholes
The current Animal Welfare Act in Mauritius has been criticized for weak enforcement, vague definitions, and broad exemptions. Rather than strengthening protections, amendments driven by industry interests could:
Legalize what was previously unregulated, such as invasive primate testing.
Shield laboratories from scrutiny under claims of “scientific necessity.”
Prevent public transparency by classifying laboratory data as confidential.
Instead of closing loopholes, the law risks being rewritten to serve corporate laboratories rather than animals or citizens.
The Bigger Picture: Foreign Magnates, Local Risks
Mauritius stands at a crossroads. Aligning itself with foreign laboratory contractors like Charles River and Clinglobal could:
Tarnish the island’s international image as a safe, ethical, and eco-friendly destination.
Attract global condemnation from NGOs, activists, and regulators who are increasingly phasing out animal experimentation.
Lock the country into an outdated, ethically untenable, and scientifically declining industry, just as the rest of the world moves toward non-animal methods (NAMs) such as organ-on-chip, organoids, and computational toxicology.
Conclusion: A Warning Call
The Minister’s remarks should serve as a wake-up call. Far from being a technical adjustment, the promise of amendments to the Animal Welfare Act risks opening the floodgates to expanded animal testing in Mauritius.
Rather than becoming a loophole for foreign corporations seeking to bypass stricter laws abroad, Mauritius has the opportunity to choose a different path: one of innovation, ethical science, and alignment with the global shift toward non-animal methods.
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