Round up of recent Mauritian
Monkey Farm demos in Germany

On friday and saturday another “weekend of action” took place around the world to stop the cruel primate trade from Mauritius. In Germany the organisation „Aktion zur Abschaffung des Primatenhandels“ (AAP) is participating in this campaign to stop the import of primates for vivisection. The Republic of Mauritius is the main exporter of primates for european vivisection labs, where animals are tortured and murdered in an extremely cruel way.

In Germany there was a protest in front of the Mauritian embassy in Berlin last friday and many protest actions in front of travel shops around the country. Cities involved were Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, Bonn, Aachen, Augsburg, Nuernberg, Witten, Kaiserslautern, Muenster and Dresden. Activists gave out information
about the primate trade from Mauritius and vivisection in Germany. They asked the public to boycott all travels to Mauritius. Many demonstrations took place in other countries around Europe.

Thomas Cook is one of the biggest travel companies and sends a lot of tourists each year to Mauritius. Many people complain about that and don't want to book any holidays there at all. Thomas Cook always emphasises (1) they would have no influence on the Mauritian government,
(2) they would have no influence on any companies in Mauritius, (3) they would have no connection to any company beside travel companies.

All three statements are wrong!
Tourism is a main source of revenue for Mauritius. As soon as Thomas Cook stops offering holidays to Mauritius for ethical reasons this will impose much pressure on the government to make a good decision for the tourists, the tourism industry and the Mauritian monkeys.

Thomas Cook arranges holidays in hotels, which are part of the "CIEL group of companies". But CIEL is not only active in the travel industry, they also work with the infamous monkey farms. Thomas Cook is one of their biggest partners and consequently they have a big influence. For example the main shareholder of the biggest monkey farm is also a 25% holder of the luxury hotel chain Constance Hotels Services.

As you know "Air Mauritius“ has already stopped flying monkeys out of the country as a result of an international boycott call. It’s up to the Mauritian government to stop all protests and boycott calls by withdrawing the licences of the monkey traders.

If the government don’t feel pity for the animals they should count the costs for the tourism industry of the country that we are able to impose by an international travel boycott and the government should not underestimate our determination to help ending the suffering of the poor Mauritian primates.