urgent emails needed.

[Guest guest]

The following is a letter we have sent to the Canberra Times.

I am asking that people send a letter to the minister responsible regarding the

possible killing of a monkey.

Please send courteous emails.

My letter is attached for anyone needing information.

 

 

The minister is The Hon. Peter McGauren

Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry

Peter.McGauran.MP

 

Our organisation has received several phone calls regarding the monkey on board

a boat that is coming into Australia. The public and our organisation are

concerned that the government is taking the easy way out on this issue.

 

The Monkey is a Rhesus Macaque (identified by Prof. Colin Groves at the ANU).

Yes monkeys are known to carry many deseases but in this case tests have not

been carried out to see if the monkey has diseases. It may be disease free as

other monkeys coming into Australia in the past have been. If the monkey is

disease free then there should be little involvement from AQIS as their role is

to prevent the spread of disease.

 

What is really more worrying is than non human primates are more at risk of

getting diseases from humans than humans are of getting diseases from these

monkeys. So if the monkey has a disease it more than likely got it from one of

the humans on board the shipping vessels.

 

If this monkey is euthanased because of disease then all humans on that boat

should be tested before it enters Australian waters.

 

A spokesperson for AQIS told me it is Australian law that no wild monkey enters

Australia. Whilst this is on the whole a good law there are always exceptions to

the rule. This monkey did not ask to be in this position. It may be disease free

and could be placed in Australia.

 

There appears to be little compassion shown here. In fact I think killing the

monkey is an easy way out for the government. They do not want to deal with the

issue.

 

Lynette Shanley

President

02 6355 4026

www.primates4primates.org