Victory! Nepalese monkeys saved from vivisection

It has been a long ride for many of us, with countless ups and downs. In the meantime four of five Ministers came and went, high level bureaucrats changed postitions, and the population of captive monkeys increased significantly.
As Manoj Gautam points out: 'It shows what can be achieved when one person takes his responsibility serious.' Kudos to Minister Dipak Bohara, and to everyone who has been involved in the Stop Monkey Business Campaign.

30-08-2009 eKantipur, Nepal

Around three hundred monkeys that were to be exported to the United States of America from this week will be able to find their food in
freedom, in their own country. A letter from the Ministry of Forestry for the immediate their immediate release will be send to Pravesh Man Shrestha, who has been breeding monkeys for the past five years.

Forestry Minister Deepak Bohra said, "We have decided not to allow the monkeys to be exported. He further added, "We will ask Pravesh Man to release the monkeys within a week."

After consulting the Department Heads of the Ministry Minster Bohara came to conclusion that it was illegal to export the monkeys. As a
first step toward exporting monkeys Shrestha had planned to export 25 of the 300 monkeys to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research Center.

Shrestha was breeding the monkeys under the auspices of Nepal Biomedical Research Center. American citizens had also financially
supported this venture. They have now landed in Kathmandu looking for compensation. Shrestha had paid twenty five thousand rupees per
monkey as tax to the Department of National Park and Wildlife Protection to procure 200 monkeys per the Forest animal breeding and
research program Working Guidelines, 2060.

"The law does not permit the export of any wild animals, thus, giving approval to export the monkeys would contravene the law," said an
Under Secretary of the Ministry. "The Ministry has come to the conclusion that the monkeys should be released to their natural environment."

Red monkey [Rhesus monkeys] are listed in the Appendix 2 of the CITES Convention. CITES has banned the export of wildlife in this list.

Dr. Shirley McGreal, OBE, Chairwoman
International Primate Protection League
PO Box 766
Summerville, SC 29484, USA
Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988

E-mail -  smcgreal@ippl.org, Web: www.ippl.org
Working to Protect All Primates Since 1973

*****

This victory will be the end of the Gateway To Hell campaign.
The Gateway To Hell campaign was all about the Nepal monkeys, and now that we won this campaign the people who were doing this work will shift their focuss on other targets.
It doesn't mean that we turn our back on the animals, not at all, it means we take other campaigns 200% seriously and the Gateway To Hell campaign is being put aside because of this.

We want to thank everybody who has been active for this campaign, many people from many countries have showed their best side by being so active for the animals.
We hope you will all stay active for the animals in other campaigns!

the Gateway To Hell team.