Stop the monkey business

Stop Monkey Business Campaign 2006-2010
In August 27, 2003, the government of Nepal passed the Wildlife Farming, Breeding and Research Policy, which put the US laboratories and organizations at an advantage. They would now be able to seek the help of Nepal to conduct their research. In late 2003, Washington National Primate Research Center and Nepal Biodiversity Research Society were granted permission to farm and breed monkeys in Nepal. This would result to the inhuman treatment of living beings. Thus to stop the rearing and export of Nepalese rhesus monkeys to US primate centers, eight national and international animal welfare organizations came together forming a coalition and launched the "Stop Monkey Business Campaign." WWG joined this campaign in 2006.

In order to deal the problem efforts have been made nationally and internationally. About 1200 people from 21 nations signed a petition calling on Nepal to cancel its plans to establish laboratories using rhesus monkeys and to export monkeys. Animal Nepal and WWG joined hands with the worlds leading animal welfare agencies and biologists to oppose the breeding and exporting of monkeys for biomedical research in America.

Mr. Mangal Man Shakya and Lucia de Vries have published a report on the misuse of Nepal's Rhesus Macaques in Medical Research by the name, 'There's some monkey business going on here.' The report contains the detailed review of the ongoing activities regarding the sale of monkeys for biomedical research.

Organizations as WWG, IPPL, PETA India, SPCAN, Kathmandu Animal Treatment Center (KAT) Roots and Shoots and Wildlife Action Group had formed a coalition to stop this business. Hindrances were created to end this campaign, but the ones involved in this activity slugged hard to achieve their objective.

Since 2003, at Lele, Monkey breeding Center operated by National Biomedical research Center (NBRC) had been lobbying to exporting monkeys to American labs, where they would be used for experimentation. To protest against export of monkeys, on June 19 2009, Mr. Jyamchang Bhotia, a young and professional guide, reached the top of Mount Everest with the Wildlife Watch Group (WWG) and International primate Protection League (IPPL) banner portraying the slogan Stop the Monkey Business. On July 29, the framed photograph of historic expedition of Mt. Everest was handed over to current minister of forest and soil conservation Mr. Deepak Bohara and on August 2009, he decided to close down the center and put all the monkeys back in the wild. This historic decision was a positive step for letting monkeys living in wild and free. An Art workshop was organized by Wildlife Watch Group on 23 January 2010 to commemorate the end of monkey business. The theme of the workshop was Let Monkeys be allowed to live in wild and free. The art workshop was held as a formal celebration of the formal decision of the government to shut down the monkey breeding centers and free the captive monkeys in the wild on 18 December 2009. More than 24 artists and 22 students had participated on this workshop to celebrate the ending of the monkey business In Nepal.

WWG hosted a painting exhibition as a part of the stop the monkey business campaign's success celebration. The painting exhibition was held on 11-13 February in Park Gallery Pulchowk. His Excellency Mr. Jean-Charles Demarquis French Ambassador to Republic of Nepal was the chief guest for the exhibition. Along with His Excellency, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, Member of Constituent Assembly and Council member of World Conservation Union and Mr. Bigyan Pradhan, Vice-Chairman of WWG spoke on the occasion about the success story of WWG in stopping the export of rhesus monkeys to USA for lab tests and experiments.

The professional artists and the parents of the student artists were also present on the occasion.