Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Qassam Brigades says its fighters are engaging in fierce clashes with the occupation forces, killing and wounding soldiers east of Jabalia camp.
Israeli media platforms are circulating preliminary reports about a multi-causality ambush in Jabalia camp, Gaza.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 35 martyrs, 75 injured in occupation targeting of civilians seeking food aid in Rafah, Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Da Silva: What is happening in Gaza is not a war, it is a genocide
Da Silva: Even the Jewish people do not want this war; it is revenge by a government against the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state
Brazilian President Lula da Silva: What we are seeing is not a war between two armies. [What we have is a] completely professional army that is killing women and children in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas: We affirm our readiness to immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention
Hamas: We welcome the continued Qatari and Egyptian efforts to end the war waged by the Zionist occupation against our people
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli occupation forces blew up Noura Al-Kaabi Hospital, designated for kidney dialysis patients, in the northern Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli drone targets a car on the Ayta al-Shaab-Debel road in southern Lebanon

Sri Lanka considering selling endangered macaques to China

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 15 Apr 2023 12:23
3 Min Read

The agricultural minister of Sri Lanka warned Wednesday that the country is considering selling up to 100,000 endangered monkeys to China, prompting fears among conservationists.

  • x
  • Sri Lanka considers selling endangered macaques to China
    Monkeys eat fruit during the annual Monkey Festival in Lopburi province, Thailand, on November 28, 2021. (Reuters)

The agricultural minister of cash-strapped Sri Lanka warned Wednesday that the country is considering selling up to 100,000 endangered monkeys to China, prompting fears among conservationists.

The toque macaque is native to Sri Lanka and is widely distributed across the island, however, it is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

Sri Lanka prohibits practically all live animal exports, and the potential sale coincides with the country's worst-ever economic crisis. 

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told AFP that China wants the monkeys for more than 1,000 zoos, and divulged that he appointed a committee to study the request.

Monkeys are regarded as pests in Sri Lanka because they ruin crops, assault settlements in search of food, and even attack humans.

This year, Sri Lanka delisted many species, including all three of its monkey species, as well as peacocks and wild boars, from their protected species list, enabling farmers to slaughter them.

Related News

Amphibians fall victim to climate change: Study

Rhino numbers bounce back in global conservation win

The Environmental Foundation, a Sri Lankan animal rights organization, criticized the proposed sale, claiming that there had been no statewide census of macaques in over 40 years and that a full population assessment should be conducted beforehand.

Number of monkeys considered between 2-3 million

Lawyer Jagath Gunawardana told reporters in Colombo that the foundation wants to know China's reason for wanting the monkeys.

"We want to know why they want so many monkeys -- whether it is for meat, medical research, or some other purpose," adding that "monkeys are not a protected species in Sri Lanka, but they are in the international red list of endangered animals."

Officially, the number of toque macaques in Sri Lanka is considered to be between two and three million.

According to Gunawardana, one cause of the growing human-animal conflict, notably with monkeys and elephants, is agricultural growth, which is diminishing wild animal habitats.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion foreign debt in April 2022 and was negotiating a bailout deal with the IMF to repair its shattered finances. The country witnessed months of lack of food, fuel, and medicine, extended power cuts, and inflation - which in turn has caused civil unrest and public outrage.

Months of protests during the height of the crisis pushed then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to depart the country and resign in July 2022 following accusations of economic mismanagement and corruption.

Read more: Iran allows Sri Lanka to settle oil debt using Ceylon tea

  • endangered species
  • Sri Lanka
  • macaque
  • China
  • Sri Lanka crisis

Most Read

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Russia-Ukraine peace talks resume in Istanbul amid escalating war
Europe

Ukraine, Russia head for Istanbul talks as battles rage, cmdr. resigns

Australia urged to join Macron-led push for Palestinian statehood
Asia Pacific

Australia urged to join Macron-led push for Palestinian statehood

‘Israel’ lost international legitimacy for war on Gaza: Israeli media
Palestine

‘Israel’ lost 'international legitimacy' for Gaza war: Israeli media

MSF Chief: US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza ‘Dehumanising’
Politics

US-Israeli aid plan in Gaza used as tool for forced displacement: MSF

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS