Friends of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCAN) is extremely concerned about the activities of the Washington National Primate Center and the Nepal Natural History Society ('Monkey business', #148). As if not enough suffering is being inflicted upon Nepal's animals already, this unholy alliance now eyes the country's primates, considered sacred and an important part of the country's heritage by the population. The Washington centre tries to find loopholes in the world's legal animal rights provisions, and in Nepal (one of the few countries in the world still without such legislation) it found ideal working ground. The plans to establish a primate research/breeding centre in Nepal were discussed during a 2002 Washington workshop on the future of 'Nonhuman Primate Resources'. Nepal is proud of its primates and does not want them to suffer unnecessarily. We certainly do not want our monkeys-sacred or not-to end up in an American lab, subjected to horrifying experiments. Friends of SPCAN call upon the media and authorities to:

1. Investigate how alliances such as these can enter the country in disguise, without permission and/or informing authorities (and make sure it won't happen again).

2. Clarify the country's stand on the protection of its precious fauna, including primates.

3. Pass animal welfare legislation as soon as possible, including a ban on (inhumane) research on animals and export of animal species for scientific use.

4. Prevent overseas centres from conducting tests on Nepal's animal species, unless aimed at improving their welfare and/or genuine conservation.

Friends of SPCAN
www.fospcan.org.np