CITES Delays Action on Illegal Macaque Trade

In January of 2025, the CITES Secretariat, the administrative body responsible for the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), recommended suspending the trade of endangered long-tailed macaques from Cambodia. This decision was based on growing concerns that many of the macaques being sold out of Cambodia as captive-bred are, in fact, illegally captured wild monkeys.

The CITES Secretariat pointed out that the number of births reported at five out of Cambodia's six registered monkey-breeding facilities seemed unusually high, raising suspicions of wildlife trafficking. They recommended suspending the trade until Cambodia could clarify the measures taken to prevent these kinds of illegal practices.

The initial recommendation was met with optimism by global animal advocates, particularly those in Canada, where activists have been raising the alarm about the country’s role in the macaque trafficking trade. Since 2023, thousands of long-tailed macaques have been exported from Cambodia to Canada, where many are essentially laundered and then resold into the United States, bypassing the current U.S. ban on imports of Cambodian monkeys. This has created a disturbing loophole, enabling companies like Charles River Laboratories, a breeding company with a notorious history of animal welfare violations and locations in both Canada and the United States, to continue importing these macaques for experimentation in the U.S.

However, despite this momentum, the CITES Secretariat's recommendation was rejected by Canada and other nations importing these monkeys. Last week, the Secretariat announced that it would continue to review Cambodia's trade in long-tailed macaques until December. During this period, Cambodia will be required to submit documentation proving its compliance with the recommendations. After the review, the status of Cambodia's trade will be reassessed.

This is a devastating setback for everyone working to end the illegal trade of endangered macaques. The delay means that more wild-caught monkeys could be imported into the United States via Canada, potentially ending up in breeding facilities like the one planned by Safer Human Medicine in Bainbridge, Georgia, as Safer Human Medicine has close ties to Charles River Laboratories. 

Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA’s senior science advisor on primate experimentation and a key advocate for the people of Bainbridge, criticized the decision, saying, "How much more do you have to have in front of you? All the data is there... even if Cambodia submits last-minute documents, those numbers are cooked. It's so obvious the system is rigged.”

While this is a disappointing development, Species Unite remains committed to raising awareness and pushing for change. This community has been fighting for years to stop the abuse of macaques in cruel and unnecessary animal testing by signing petitions to close loopholes in U.S. import policy, stop airlines from transporting these innocent animals, end cruel university experiments, and prevent the creation of breeding facilities that exploit macaques. We are fighting on all fronts, and together, we will win!

Species Unite will soon be taking our outreach on these issues to the next level with the release of our first ever documentary which will highlight the brave efforts of the people of Bainbridge, Georgia, and Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, as they fight to stop the construction of a macaque breeding facility that could house illegally trafficked macaques.

If you haven’t signed all of our petitions against the illegal macaque trade and cruel primate testing, you can find them below. Every signature counts!