Federal wildlife officials found themselves in a tricky situation after they flagged recent shipments of research monkeys as improperly imported into the U.S.
The more than 1,000 long-tailed macaques were imported by Charles River Laboratories, a research company based in Massachusetts. Since being flagged by wildlife officials, the monkeys have been under the company’s care, a Charles River spokesperson said.
Over the past six months, officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have contacted at least two animal sanctuaries to inquire about the cost of housing and feeding the primates for the rest of their lives.
One sanctuary quoted a price tag of $125 million — to cover staffing costs, the purchase of land and building infrastructure — before communication with government officials stalled last week.
The federal government then decided to ship the monkeys back to Cambodia, according to PETA, but the animal rights groups are fighting back.
“We know that the monk...
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