Last week, a Conquest Air Cargo plane (above) with dozens of monkeys in the cargo hold arrived in Miami from the island of Barbados. The monkeys were imported by PreLabs, a Florida-based supplier of monkeys to laboratories.
African green monkeys (or vervets) are exported from Barbados for research purposes. Trapped in the wild, these monkeys are ripped from their families and forest homes, packed into small wooden crates and shipped as cargo to end up in a laboratory where they will suffer and die in experiments.
You Can Help Please contact Conquest Air Cargo and urge them to refuse to transport monkeys destined for research, and to instead join the increasing number of airlines that have made the decision to stop their involvement in this appalling trade. Contact:
“Dear Conquest Air Cargo: Please stop transporting monkeys destined for the research industry. Many reputable airlines and cargo carriers, including Florida-based airlines Amerijet International and IBC Airways, as well as Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Lufthansa and Air China have made the decision to no longer be involved in the cruelty and suffering of the international trade in monkeys by refusing to transport monkeys for laboratory suppliers. Please make a similar commitment.”
Please share with ARFF any responses that you receive.
On May 19, neighbors in Palmetto Bay were alarmed when they heard the screaming of birds. When they rushed outside they saw a man roughly grabbing Muscovy ducks and throwing them into crowded cages on his truck. Children who witnessed the scene were terrified.
The man, Andres Canova, operating as Xpress Trappers, is notorious for his cruel treatment of ducks. In recent years he has trapped ducks in cities across South Florida. (Canova recently began a new business targeting iguanas called The Iguana Guy.)
When confronted, Canova often repeats one of a series of lies: that he has permission or has been hired by the city, that the ducks are being removed to be tested for disease, or that the ducks will be relocated. The sad truth is that the trapped ducks are almost certainly killed.
This week in Palmetto Bay, Canova was not only removing ducks from private property without permission, but he was in violation of the village’s bird refuge ordinance. Thankfully, quick-thinking residents took photographs, wrote down the truck’s tag number, and called the police. Canova was cited for trespassing.
Despite the minor penalty, it is encouraging that this time Andres Canova was not allowed to do his dirty business and escape consequences.
You Can Help If you witness a trapper cruelly removing Muscovy ducks, or you suspect that the trapper is trespassing on private property, please document the incident (photos and/or video) and call the police. Contact ARFF as well.
Is your city a bird refuge? Many cities in Florida have been designated bird refuges or sanctuaries. Such designations can offer protection against individuals who treat Muscovy ducks cruelly or capture ducks for profit. If your city is not a bird sanctuary, contact your city commission and urge them to consider adding this important protection for birds (contact ARFF, we can help).
The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, Action for Primates and One Voice have received an anonymous tip alleging that Primate Products, a Florida-based importer and supplier of non-human primates to the research industry, has been in contact with a French aviation company, CS Aviation, regarding 1,200 long-tailed macaques it wants to transport from Mauritius to Miami for sale to a laboratory. CS Aviation has agreed to take this on and has enlisted SkyBus Air Cargo to carry out the transport of these primates.
The international trade in primates for research inflicts great cruelty and suffering on these highly intelligent and sensitive animals; including their capture from the wild, their forced captivity in unnatural conditions on farms, the forced early separation of a female from her infant, their transportation in the cargo holds of airplanes and their eventual fate in the research laboratory. During transportation, primates will suffer stress and anxiety while forced to endure extremely long journeys. Packed in small crates in the cargo hold, they may be subjected to delays, inadequate ventilation, noise and extreme temperature fluctuations. Over the years, a number of incidents have taken place where these animals have suffered greatly or have died during transportation on airlines.
Please contact CS Aviation and SkyBus Air Cargo and urge them to refuse to be associated with the cruelty and suffering involved in the international trade in primates for research.
“Dear CS Aviation: Please do not organize the transportation of primates for the research industry, especially a pending shipment of 1,200 long-tailed macaques from Mauritius to Miami with the cargo carrier Skybus Air Cargo.
The transportation of primates by airlines is an issue that attracts strong public concern and opposition, as well as negative media coverage. As a result, many reputable airlines and cargo carriers, including American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines, South African Airways, Delta Airlines, Eva Air, Air Canada and China Airlines, have made the decision to dissociate themselves from the cruelty and suffering of the international trade in primates by refusing to transport primates destined for the research industry.
I strongly urge CS Aviation to refuse to be a broker for the transport of primates, thereby dissociating itself from this highly controversial and cruel trade.”
“Dear SkyBus Air Cargo: Please do not transport primates destined for the research industry, in particular a shipment of 1,200 primates from Mauritius to Miami that has been organized through CS Aviation.
The transportation of primates by airlines is an issue that attracts strong public concern and opposition, as well as negative media attention. As a result, many reputable airlines and cargo carriers, including American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines, South African Airways, Delta Airlines, Eva Air, Air Canada and China Airlines, have made the decision to dissociate themselves from the cruelty and suffering of the international trade in primates by refusing to transport primates destined for the research industry.
I strongly urge SkyBus Air Cargo to refuse to transport primates, thereby dissociating itself from this highly controversial and cruel trade.”
(Miami) – Miami-based World Wide Primates has been awarded a $1,840,000 contract to provide hundreds of monkeys to the National Institutes of Health in a “emergency acquisition” due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
World Wide Primates is a family business owned by Matt Block, a man with a history of serious crimes:
In federal court in January 2018, Matt Block pled guilty to one count of “False information and hoaxes.” Block admitted mailing envelopes containing suspicious white powder and a threatening letter to the home of a World Wide Primates employee and to his own mother’s house, and lying to federal law enforcement agents about his involvement in the bizarre scheme.
In 1993, Block was sentenced to 13 months in prison for smuggling endangered wildlife (baby orangutans).
“The National Institutes of Health should not be doing business with an individual like Matt Block who has a history of serious violations of federal criminal law,” said Nick Atwood, Campaigns Coordinator for the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF). “Providing monkeys for use in experimentation is a dirty business, and Block is one of the dirtiest.”
The use of monkeys and other animals in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine is not only cruel and expensive, but is unnecessary. Because of biological differences between species, animal experiments yield results that cannot be safely applied to humans. ARFF believes that the quickest way to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is through human clinical trials and tests using human tissues and cells (including blood samples from people who have recovered from COVID-19 infections).
Governor DeSantis’ stay-at-home order took effect today and lasts until the end of April. Here are some ways to help people and animals during this public health crisis.
Get the facts. Share information. There is no evidence that dogs or cats can get sick from COVID-19 or spread the virus to people. You can leave the house to exercise and care for your companion animals. The governor’s order specifically listed “taking care of pets” as an essential, permitted activity. Rely on the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for info and updates about the outbreak.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Make arrangements with a family member or friend who can care for your pets in case you are no longer able to. Make sure they know about any medications or special needs that the animal(s) may have.
Check-in on your neighbors, especially older adults and people with a disability, and offer to help by walking their dog, purchasing food or running errands. (Click here for a printable door hanger)
This is a challenging time for many charities. Animal shelters, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and sanctuaries in Florida are still caring for animals. If you can, donate money or supplies (many organizations have a “wish list” of needed items on their website). Your local food bank or Meals on Wheels program would likely appreciate donations of pet food for families in need!
Foster or adopt a new dog or cat. Reach out to your local animal shelter or rescue and ask how you can help (services may be paused during the stay-at-home order).
Support your local vegan restaurant! Dining areas are closed, but many restaurants are offering take-out or delivery service. Or purchase a gift card online for use in the future.
Time on your hands? Get active! – The COVID-19 outbreak has forced the cancellation of many Shrine circuses around the country. Now would be a good time for Shriners International to make a commitment to replace cruel animal circuses with non-animal fundraisers. Contact Imperial Potentate Jeffrey Sowder and ask him to discourage Shrine temples from conducting circus fundraisers: marketing@shrinenet.org – Urge SeaWorld to release the dolphins and whales it holds captive to seaside sanctuaries. Click here to send a message. – Ask Canada Goose to go animal-free (the company is single-handedly propping-up the market for trapped coyotes). Sign the petition. – Air France is the only major passenger airline continuing to fly monkeys destined for a life of suffering in animal experiments. Ask them to stop (click here).
