In a bold move to raise awareness about Ethiopian Airlines’ involvement in the transportation of endangered long-tailed macaques from Mauritius and Southeast Asia to the U.S. for use in experiments, PETA supporters staged a protest outside the Embassy of Ethiopia on Thursday September 25. Dressed in hazmat suits and accompanied by two 8-foot crying “monkeys,” the protesters urged embassy officials to end this practice immediately.
The government-owned airline, which appears to have ties to an alleged illegal international monkey-smuggling ring, has transported thousands of monkeys to U.S. laboratories despite previously telling PETA that the practice was against company policy. This revelation has sparked outrage among animal rights activists and the general public.
“Monkeys imported into the U.S. are torn away from their families, shoved into the cargo holds of airplanes, and flown around the globe to be used in cruel experiments that don’t help humans,” stated PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo.
