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March 2009
I just watched the three segments of the Nightline video on the ABC
Nightline web site.
http://abcnews. go.com/Nightline /
My understanding is that New Iberia has 6,000 primates, of whom
around 325 are chimpanzees. Which means there are 5,600+ or so
MONKEYS at this awful, awful place. On the video you could see
terrified monkeys being caught with pole catching devices and placed
into restraint chairs and intubated and a baby monkey struck. You see
monkeys in tiny bleak cages engaging in assorted stereotypic movements.
ALL the animals at New Iberia deserve fair treatment. The expert
comments that chimpanzees have complex social lives, complex
emotions, live long lives, etc. apply equally to monkeys. It's time
to give the monkeys a break, there are around 70,000 in US labs and
they are pouring into the country from China and other nations.
Congratulations to HSUS and the undercover camera person for sticking
with the important task of documenting this abuse over several
months. It's taking place in a remote part of Louisiana lacking a
strong animal protection movement. Michael Budkie and SAEN (grossly
under-funded) have created a paper trail on New Iberia. The agencies
charged with enforcing the Animal Welfare Act just pay an occasional
visit and don't see the kind of things we'll see tonight if we have
the stomach to watch.
Shirley McGreal
Dr. Shirley McGreal, OBE, Chairwoman
International Primate Protection League
PO Box 766
Summerville, SC 29484, USA
Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988
