During air transportation, the monkeys travel as cargo and are confined, alone and packaged in small boxes, called ‘transit boxes’. Many get sick or die in transit. For others, anxiety and stress lead to infections and other illnesses.
EL DIARIO: On January 20, a flight from the Spanish airline Wamos Air was flying to Houston after having made a stopover in Madrid at dawn. On the plane 720 monkeys were transported. These were long-tailed macaques, the most widely traded non-human primates used in research, primarily in toxicity tests (ie through poisoning). Upon arrival in Madrid at 2:23 a.m., they had already been subjected to a long period of confinement in small cages, including a 15-hour flight and a 4-hour layover in Tbilisi, Georgia…
On November 15, Wamos Air had already transported 720 monkeys on a similar route: flight EB998 from Cambodia to the United States (specifically to Houston, Texas)… The ordeal suffered by the monkeys on the November Wamos Air flight included 24 hours of travel, with an additional six-hour layover in Tbilisi, to which was added a three-hour delay. In addition, many had already passed in transit to and from airports in Cambodia and Texas. Finally, upon arrival at the Houston airport, several monkeys were found dead on board the Wamos plane…
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)… was aware of the death of the monkeys and that an animal welfare inspector was present when the flight arrived in Houston… However, the full extent of this tragedy is still unknown, including not only how many monkeys died, but also how many others may have had difficulty and suffering during transport. Wamos Air has not offered any statement to the media…
During 2021, Wamos Air has transported hundreds of monkeys in several shipments, mainly from Cambodia, but also, at least one, from Mauritius. All monkeys are intended to be used for research purposes in the United States. The monkeys aboard flight EB998 on November 15 were destined for Envigo, a global contract research company that uses various species of animals, including monkeys, to conduct tests on behalf of other companies.
Many of Wamos Air’s shipments are made up of 720 overalls, confined in individual compartments of 144 transit boxes. The Wamos Air flight usually makes a stopover at the Madrid-Barajas airport. For example, on September 17, 2021, 720 monkeys flew 18,717 kilometers, from Cambodia to the United States, via Madrid, enduring more than 24 hours of confinement in cages. In addition, they suffered a layover of about four hours at the Madrid-Barajas airport…
During air transportation, the monkeys travel as cargo and are confined, alone and packaged in small boxes, called ‘transit boxes’. In addition to crowded conditions, they may be forced to endure inadequate ventilation, loud and unfamiliar noises, fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and delays along the way. Monkeys can get sick or die in transit. For others, anxiety and stress lead to infections and other illnesses that can lie dormant until the animals reach their destination…
A signature campaign in Europe led by the platform Stop Camarles (Spain), Action for Primates (UK) and One Voice (France) asks Wamos Air to join the many other airlines already committed not to transport monkeys destined for research. “The shocking and heartbreaking incident of the death of those monkeys is a clear reminder of the great suffering that global trade and transport of non-human primates destined for research entails. This issue generates social concern and it is time for Wamos Air to join the long list of airlines that now refuse to be part of this cruelty,” said Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates. SOURCE… SOURCE…
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