BREAKING: Mauritius Faces Global Outrage Over Exploitation of Endangered Monkeys
- J Talbot
- Oct 22
- 3 min read
Asia for Animals Coalition Calls Out Violations of CITES Rules in Letter to Mauritian Government urging the Mauritian government to end all wild captures and exports of macaques and adopt humane, science-based management strategies.
Port Louis, October 21, 2025 — Mauritius is under growing international condemnation following revelations that the island continues to capture and export long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) for the global research and testing industry — despite the species being listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List and regulated under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).
In a powerful open letter addressed today to Dr. Arvin Boolell, Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, the Asia for Animals (AfA) Coalition — representing more than 200 conservation and animal welfare organizations worldwide — urged the Mauritian government to end all wild captures and exports of macaques and to instead adopt humane, science-based management strategies to address human-monkey conflicts.
The letter was also copied to Kevin Ruhomaun, Director of the Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS), and the country’s CITES Management Authority.
❗️Alleged Violations of CITES and Global Conservation Standards
The AfA coalition highlights a serious breach of CITES obligations, noting that Mauritius has failed to conduct Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs) — essential assessments required for the export of CITES-listed species to ensure that trade does not endanger their survival.
“The last comprehensive survey of the long-tailed macaque population in Mauritius was carried out over 40 years ago,” the letter states. “Yet between 2015 and 2023, over 103,000 macaques were exported — primarily to the United States and Europe.”
According to official CITES trade data, thousands of those monkeys were wild-caught, not captive-bred — a direct contradiction of Mauritius’ claims that its macaque exports come only from breeding farms.
❗️Endangered but Exploited
The long-tailed macaque, once abundant across Asia, has suffered catastrophic declines due to habitat loss, capture, and international trade.
Listed as CITES Appendix II since 1977
Uplisted from “Vulnerable” to “Endangered” by the IUCN in 2022
Biomedical trade is identified as a major driver of population collapse
Mauritius has become one of the world’s top suppliers of macaques for research — a trade worth tens of millions annually — supplying large contract testing companies including Charles River Laboratories and Envigo.
The AfA coalition argues this activity not only threatens biodiversity but also tarnishes Mauritius’ international reputation as a responsible island nation.
❗️A 2025 Email Raises Further Alarm
The controversy deepened earlier this year when Kevin Ruhomaun, Director of the National Parks and Conservation Service, reportedly stated in an email to Prof. Nedim Buyukmihci that “a Non-Detriment Finding for the wild monkeys in Mauritius is not warranted given that the population is an exotic invasive species.”
However, CITES Legal Unit has since confirmed that NDFs are mandatory for all CITES-listed species, even if they are introduced populations. The AfA coalition therefore accuses Mauritius of longstanding non-compliance with international law.
❗️ Health and Ethical Concerns
Beyond conservation issues, the coalition warns that the capture and export of wild macaques pose serious public health risks, including the potential spread of zoonotic diseases such as tuberculosis, which has already been detected in Mauritian monkey colonies.
“The suffering caused by the capture and removal of wild monkeys from their families and habitats is immense,” the coalition notes.
“Professional bodies worldwide — including the European Union and the International Primatological Society — have condemned these practices.”
❗️ A Call for Reform
The letter, signed by over 200 organizations including World Animal Protection, Born Free Foundation, Animals Asia, Action for Primates, and the Jane Goodall Institute, calls on Mauritius to:
Ban all wild capture and export of macaques
Comply fully with CITES regulations
Adopt humane mitigation strategies for managing monkey–human conflicts
Engage international experts to develop sustainable, non-lethal approaches
“Mauritius can become a model for ethical conservation — but only if it ends its complicity in the global monkey trade,” said Lauren Arnaud James of AfA.
❗️A Turning Point for Mauritius
The AfA statement comes amid rising global criticism of Mauritius’ growing primate export and testing industry, which includes major foreign contract research firms like Charles River Laboratories and Clinglobal. Animal rights groups warn that the government’s current trajectory — promoting the country as a “biomedical research hub” — risks aligning Mauritius with outdated, unethical, and scientifically questionable practices.
With more than 100,000 macaques exported in under a decade, and ongoing reports of wild captures, the world is now watching whether Mauritius will honor its international commitments — or continue to prioritize profit over protection.
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