"China, What Is the Intention?" Controversy Over Sri Lanka's Mass Import of Monkeys

Sri Lanka, which is facing economic difficulties due to a "national default," is considering exporting about 100,000 native Toque macaque monkeys to China.

According to AFP and other sources on the 13th (local time), Mahinda Amaraweera, Sri Lanka's Minister of Agriculture, said the day before that China wants Toque macaque monkeys from Sri Lanka for exhibition purposes at more than 1,000 zoos across the country.

Sri Lankan toque macaque monkey playing on a motorcycle.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

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Minister Amaraweera said, "We have formed a committee to study this request and see what we can do." Specific details about the export contract conditions, such as the selling price, have not been disclosed.

The Toque macaque monkey is relatively small, measuring 43 to 53 cm in length, and it is estimated that 2 to 3 million live only in Sri Lanka. These monkeys live in groups of dozens, damage crops, and even attack people, so Sri Lankan residents consider them harmful animals.

Accordingly, Sri Lankan authorities removed the Toque macaque monkey from the list of protected animals this year, along with wild boars and peafowls.

A citizen is passing in front of a building with a photo banner of President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

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When the Sri Lankan government's plan to consider exporting monkeys became known, animal protection groups strongly opposed it. Although common in Sri Lanka, the Toque macaque monkey is designated as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is therefore a protected species.

In particular, animal protection groups have raised suspicions that China’s large demand for monkeys may have other motives. Jagath Gunawardana of the Sri Lankan animal rights organization "Environmental Foundation" said, "We want to know why China wants so many monkeys," expressing suspicion.

They suggested the possibility that the monkeys might be used for purposes other than exhibition in zoos, such as for food or medical research. Sri Lanka’s main industries, including tourism, collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign debt surged, and fiscal policies failed, leading to an official national default since May last year.

Sri Lanka’s current foreign debt is reported to be about 50 billion dollars (approximately 65.7 trillion won).

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