China is still keen on receiving monkeys from Sri Lanka, Minister for Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera said. 

Speaking in Parliament today (Jan 09), Minister Amaraweera said during his recent visit to China, private zoo companies had expressed their hopes of acquiring the Sri Lankan toque macaque monkeys.

“The private Chinese zoo companies are still looking forward to acquiring Sri Lankan monkeys for exhibition purposes. There are around 20,000 private zoos in China. However, we are unable to move forward due to the actions of animal activists and organizations,” he said. 

The minister also pointed out the court case filed against this move, resulting in a court order being issued prohibiting the export of Sri Lankan monkeys to China. 

Emphasizing that monkeys were a key cause for the destruction of crops, including nearly 700 million coconuts a year, Minister Amaraweera said the government will now have to look into alternative ways to address crop destruction. 

The minister proposed in Parliament for the Ministries of Defence and Wildlife Conservation to provide a solution for the destruction of crops by certain wild animals. (NewsWire)

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The Court of Appeal was today given an assurance by the Department of Wildlife and Conservation that they will not be taking steps to export toque macaque monkeys from Sri Lanka to China.

The assurance given by the Department of Wildlife and Conservation was informed to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General when the petitions filed against the move were taken up for hearing today.

The case will be taken up before the Court of Appeal next on 6th July 2023 to record the undertaking given to the Court by the State. 

Nearly 30 petitions were filed in response to a previous statement made by Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera claiming that there were plans being made to export toque macaque monkeys from Sri Lanka to China.

The petitioners were filed by several animal activists and environmentalists, including the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, before the Court of Appeal seeking a Writ of Certiorari, quashing any decision to export toque macaque monkeys to China. 

President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena with counsels Prashanthi Mahindaratne, Dilumi De Alwis, Lakmini Warusevitane and Rukshan Senadira instructed by attorney-at- law Amila Kumar appeared for the Petitioners. (NewsWire)

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