No Monkey Business

Kathmandu, September 12 - On Aug. 28, when the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation’s decision prohibiting the establishment of any monkey breeding sites in Nepal was made public, animal rights activists worldwide rejoiced. “We had been fighting for this since 2003. It is good to know that it has not all been in vain” says Manoj Gautam, country coordinator of Roots and Shoots. The debate — whether the rhesus monkeys of Nepal should be used for biomedical research in the United States — had finally been settled.

The problem first came into the spotlight in 2003. “At the time, we were alerted by the media, of the possibility of Nepali Rhesus monkeys being used for bio-medical research in the U.S.,” says Gautam. “We immediately organised a rally denouncing this project, and we heard no more about it”

However, around late 2006, rumours began to re-emerge that the National Biomedical Research Centre in Lele, Lalitpur was, in fact, planning to export monkeys to the U.S. and had approached the government with a proposal. All this was made possible by the ambiguous nature of Nepal’s Wildlife Reproductive and Breeding Policy Act. This proposal asked for licensed permission to establish a breeding centre and export 25 monkeys (to start with) to the Southwest Foundation, a biomedical company based in Texas. And, even though the government did not issue a legal response to this proposal, word on the street had it that the license would eventually be granted.

In response, seven animal rights activist groups joined forces and filed a Public Interest Litigation, seeking to ban this practice once and for all. It seems that after three long years, they have finally succeeded in achieving their goal.

It is interesting to note that there has been no change in policy regarding this issue since 2003. Annapurna Nanda Das (spokesperson and joint-secretary, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation) comments, “There has been no policy change. The same policy has been in existence, and only certain parts of it are highlighted today. Exporting the monkeys was never a possibility according to the law.” “There never was any doubt on the matter,” emphasises Gautam. “The law stated that commercial farming was allowed for certain animals. In the case that research was to be done with tools and devices not available in Nepal, then, saliva, hair and blood samples could be sent abroad for these purposes. Nowhere did it state that whole animals could be exported.”

Dr. Pravesh Man Shrestha, Nepal’s co-ordinator of National Biomedical Research Centre, in contrast, said otherwise. “I know of no such decision,” he said, and withdrew from commenting.

The biomedical significance of the Nepali Rhesus Macaque (simply known as the Rhesus monkey) has been increasing ever since 1978, when India banned the export of all macaques. Since then, American research centres have been on the lookout for alternatives. According to a genome study completed in 2007, humans and rhesus monkeys share about 93 percent of their DNA sequence. The Rhesus monkey is also the preferred species of primates to be used in laboratory experiments, owing to their relatively easy upkeep, and the fact that captivity does not inhibit mating. Nepali Rhesus Macaques are more closely related genetically to Indian Macaques than the Chinese variety and scientists have noted advantageous behavioural and physiological differences in disease resistance in Nepali Macaques compared to Chinese Macaques — hence the high demand for the monkey.

Scientists worldwide have tried to persuade these countries to export their macaques on the grounds that they have contributed to the development of vaccines to polio, small pox, rabies, and yellow fever. They are the most used modals for AIDS vaccine research. Animal rights activists worldwide have fiercely contested these statements, saying that such lab monkeys are more often used to test biological weapons (like the anthrax virus). Furthermore, in Nepal’s pre-dominantly Hindu and Buddhist society, where monkeys are revered as sacred, exposing them to torture is considered profane.

“The fact is that Nepal has neither the medical supplies nor the technology to be able to export animals. We do not have the proper DNA techniques, proper shipping methods; we are just not prepared for something like this,” comments Gautam. “And, there are no guarantees that the animals are treated properly. At research centres, animal are usually inhumanely tortured.”

So what will happen to the monkeys now that they cannot be exported?

In all probability, they will be introduced to the wild, and this by itself, is no mean feat. “This is a challenge for the whole world, not just Nepal,” comments Gautam. “No colony this large has ever been rehabilitated.” The closest, he presses, was a colony in Indonesia — but that was a troop of 20-30 monkeys, as compared to the 300-400 in Nepal.

“We have consulted with Deepak Bohara (current Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation), and are currently examining the details of the breeding centre. When we have collected sufficient data, we will attempt to relocate the monkeys, possibly with the help of foreign specialists.”

The relocating of the monkeys is also potentially hazardous. Some of the monkeys have been bred in captivity, and, teaching them to fend for themselves will be a difficult task. “This is why we are having a soft release; we will continually track each animal, and provide food at designated areas, before we actually leave them by themselves.”

But what is important is that the Nepali Rhesus Macaque will be saved from suffering. “I have been working on this issue since it began, and, legally, not a single monkey has been exported,” says Annapurna Das.” “I also doubt that it has been done illegally and that it is safe to assume that no monkey has ever been exported from Nepal.”

Rhesus monkeys share about 93 percent of their DNA sequence with humans. The Rhesus monkey is also the preferred species of primates to be used in laboratory experiments, owing to their relatively easy upkeep