Guest guest Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 2008/02/02 - New straits times Ministry drops plan to export monkeys KANGAR: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will abandon the proposal to export long-tailed macaques, a common monkey found in urban areas. Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said the decision was made after the discovery that about 80 per cent of urban monkeys had contracted diseases and were deemed unfit for export. The cabinet had, in August last year, proposed the idea to capture and export macaques in urban areas to control their numbers. Azmi said that about 80 per cent of the 250,000 long-tailed macaques found in urban areas were found to have diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis and AIDS. He said the diseases could possibly spread among the human population. " After a study was conducted recently, it was found the macaques were not suitable for export because they were infected. " They were supposed to fulfil the demand for exotic meat in a few countries in Asia and in the west, " he said after a MCA Padang Besar gathering in Kaki Bukit yesterday. " A study of 2,000 macaques in urban areas, which had begun several months ago, found that 80 per cent of them were infected. " Only 20 per cent were healthy, and of this, only half the number were suitable for export. " He said the ministry feared that the move to export monkeys would encourage companies to hire agents to seize the monkeys, thus leading to uncontrolled hunting of the animal. Currently, no permits had been issued for the export of macaques. The ministry had earlier decided to lift a 23-year-old export ban on macaques because of the increasing cases of attacks and disturbances by the monkeys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.