Here is information about an appallingly cruel incident in late May involving the death of a mother monkey who was travelling on Air France from Jakarta, Indonesia, to the United States. She was found dead in her crate in Paris.

To make things worse, her suckling baby was brutally KILLED.

Even worse, this shipment should NEVER have taken place as Air France was caught red-handed in April carrying 20 baby monkeys as part of a shipment of 253 monkeys (crab-eating macaques) going to a US breeder. A Chicago wildlife inspector cleared the shipment and filled in that a 100% inspection had taken place. An IPPL member in Chicago called the inspector and he told her that he had not even looked at the monkeys despite filling in a form claiming that the shipment had been 100% inspected.

We need to ask the US Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate why the 10 April shipment was cleared despite non-compliance with regulations (carrying the 20 baby monkeys). We also need to write and ask Air France to join other ethical airlines in banning the shipment of monkeys. Addresses:

Here's more about this sad story:

Air France has embargoed primate exports from Indonesia following an incident involving a shipment that included baby monkeys. In late May, a large shipment of monkeys, including many babies, transitted Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France. The shipper was Inquatex, an Indonesian firm and the consignee LABS of Virginia. One of the mothers was found dead in her crate at Paris. Her suckling baby was killed for an unclear reason. There was a 2-day delay in Paris, and the remaining animals were shipped on to O'Hare Airport, Chicago, USA.

On learning of the deaths of the mother and baby, a British group (BUAV), which had been tipped off about the incident, contacted Air France. The reply from Air France follows. 

Air France statement to BUAV from Bernard McCoy, Air France

In reply to your fax of yesterday, we confirm that among a shipment of primates between Indonesia and the US at the end of May, an adult female died. Preliminary indications suggest a death by natural causes. The dead primate has been sent for an autopsy in France for which the results will not be known for another couple of weeks. The female had a suckling infant and consequently it was decided that this young primate should be put down by euthanasia by a veterinary surgeon.

As a result of this incident Air France has declared an embargo, until further notice, for all such shipments from Indonesia, as the shipper contravened not only Air France policy prohibiting the transport of such baby primates, but also IATA recommendations.

The shipment onwards to the US was delayed a couple of days due to a technical problem with the regular Cargo aircraft. During this time the consignment was sent to the airport animal centre at Paris CDG where the primates received excellent professional care throughout.

On arrival in the US the authorities involved carried out their normal checks and Air France was congratulated on the excellent condition of the primates, and for the way they had been handled whilst in Air France's care.

Whilst it is most regrettable that one primate died and another had to be put down humanely, Air France wishes to emphasise that there is no reason to believe that this was as a result of the conditions in which they travelled whilst in its care. Air France immediately took the necessary action to minimise the possibility of any such incidents, which are exceptional, occurring again. 

On learning of the deaths, IPPL submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for all details of all shipments reaching the United States from Indonesia in 1997. We found a shipment including more baby monkeys reached Chicago on Air France on 10 April 1997. The animals were packed in 48 crates containing a total of 253 crab-eating macaques and were shipped by Inquatex, Indonesia, to LABS.

The shipment was cleared by the US Fish and Wildlife Service despite its questionable compliance with the humane shipping regulations cited below. A US Fish and Wildlife Service inspector checked on the Form 3-177 that 100% of the wildlife was inspected at Chicago. He later informed a caller that he had in fact not looked at the animals at all and that, despite the listing of the babies on the documents that accompanied the shipment, he was unaware that the shipment included babies.

Accompanying documents showed that this shipment consisted of 253 monkeys, of which 20 were babies, and 17 monkeys between one and three months pregnant. Some of the babies were just FOUR weeks old.

The dates of birth of the babies shipped on 8 April 1997 were:

• 7 March 1997 (the youngest, four weeks old)
• 13 January 1997
• 4 March 1997
• 13 January 1997
• 14 February 1997
• 24 January 1997
• 24 February 1997
• 3 January 1997
• 5 January 1997
• 25 January 1997
• 8 January 1997
• 13 February 1997
• 18 February 1997
• 19 February 1997
• 6 January 1997
• 7 January 1997
• 15 February 1997
• 3 February 1997
• 2 January 1997
• 8 January 1997

TEXT of SEC. CITE 50 CFR Sec. 14.105 Title 50, Subchapter B, Part 14, Subpart J

(a) No carrier shall accept any live wild mammal or bird for transport to the US that has not been examined within 10 days prior to commencement of transport to the US by a veterinarian certified as qualified by the national government of the initial country from which the mannal or bird is being exported. If the national government of such country does not certify veterinarians, then the veterinarian must be certified or licensed by a local government authority designated by the national government as authorized to certify veterinarians.

(b)(1) A certificate of veterinary medical inspection, signed by the examining veterinarian, stating that the animal has been examined, is healthy, appears to be free of any communicable disease, and is able to withstand the normal rigors of transport must accompany the mammal or bird; the certificate should include the veterinarian's license number, certification number, or equivalent. A mammal in the last third of its pregnancy, if this is detectable using professionally accepted standards, shall not be accepted for transport to the US except for medical treatment and unless the examining veterinarian certifies in writing that the animal has been examined, the state of pregnancy has been evaluated, and that, despite the medical condition requiring treatment, the animal is physically able to withstand the normal rigors of transportation to the US.

(2) A nursing mother with young, an unweaned mammal unaccompanied by its mother, or an unweaned bird shall be transported only if the primary purpose is for needed medical treatment and upon certification in writing by the examining veterinarian that the treatment is necessary and the animal is able to withstand the normal rigors of transport. Such an unweaned mammal or bird shall not be transported to the US for medical treatment unless it is accompanied at all times by and completely accessible to a veterinary attendant.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) rules do not ban shipment of baby monkeys but they strongly advise against it. They also advise against shipment of pregnant monkeys. Possible complications of shipping pregnant monkeys could be miscarriage and associated hemorrhage - all usually happening in the cargo hold of a plane with nobody to help.

Please write the requested letters!

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IPPL INVESTIGATES CRUEL MONKEY DEALINGS

BABY MONKEYS REACH UNITED STATES

Once again the International Primate Protection League has exposed unsavory dealings in macaque monkeys. Many of these monkeys are unlucky enough to live in countries which are happy for them to be sent to suffer in overseas laboratories.

US regulations ban import of baby monkeys except in rare cases where urgent medical treatment is required. Yet IPPL has learned that at least two shipments including baby monkeys reached Chicago, Illinois, in April and May 1997 ­ and that they were cleared by US Fish and Wildlife inspectors based at

O'Hare Airport, Chicago.

Shipping of baby monkeys appears to be in violation of 50 CFR Sec. 14.105 Title 50 Ch. 1, Subchapter B, Part 14, Subpart J. This regulation, which implements the Lacey Act, a US wildlife law, states that:

A nursing mother with young, an unweaned mammal unaccompanied by its mother...shall be transported only if the primary purpose is for needed medical treatment and upon

certification by the examining veterinarian that the treatment is necessary and the animal is able to withstand the normal rigors of transport. Such an unweaned mammal...shall not be transported to the United States for medical treatment unless it is accompanied at all times and completely accessible to a

veterinary attendant.

IPPL gets tip­off about baby monkeys

In late May 1997 IPPL received a tip­off that a large shipment of crab­eating macaques from Indonesia had just passed through Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, and that the shipment included a large number of baby monkeys. We also learned that one mother monkey had been found dead in her crate at Paris and that her clinging baby had been killed. The person who contacted us was totally appalled at seeing the terrified babies.

The monkey shipment had originated from a company called Inquatex in Indonesia.

IPPL's FOIA

In order to learn more about what was going on IPPL submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for documents pertaining to all shipments of nonhuman primates reaching the United States from Indonesia in 1997. We received a package of documents but it did not include any documents for the May 1997 shipment. However we have filed a follow­up request for these documents.

Among the documents received by IPPL were several pertaining to a shipment of 253 monkeys that reached O'Hare Airport, Chicago, on 10 April 1997. This shipment included 20 babies and 17 pregnant monkeys.

The babies were shipped in crates with their mothers. Some of the babies were just four weeks old. These baby monkeys were far too young to be shipped internationally. In turbulence they could be severely injured or even accidentally killed by their mothers.

The monkeys' trip involved travel from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Paris (a 17 hour flight excluding ground time) and then from Paris to Chicago (9 hours flying time). From Chicago the monkeys, who had already been in transit for 3 days, were trucked to Yemassee, South Carolina, which is over 900 miles (1450 kilometers) away from Chicago.

This further long trip (probably at least 20 hours with stops) would have been another gruelling ordeal for the monkeys already crated for over three days, including the 2­day Paris delay.

Chicago Inspector Clears April Shipment

US Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors are stationed at official ports of entry to the United States. Their job is to inspect incoming shipments of wildlife and to verify that the paperwork is in order. Inspectors should be, but sadly are not always, on the front lines in the war against wildlife crime.

They are supposed to identify possible law violations and report them for investigation and possible prosecution. But the April shipment was cleared, as was the May shipment, despite the obvious presence of babies.

According to the 3­177 import form, the April shipment was inspected at Chicago. The inspection block on the 3­177 form claimed that "100% of wildlife [was] inspected." It is hard to believe that the inspector could have inspected the shipment and not noticed the 20 babies. Crab­ eating macaque babies 4­12 weeks old are tiny creatures and could not be mistaken for adults.

At IPPL's request, Debbie Leahy of Illinois Animal Action phoned the wildlife inspector. He told her that he had never seen the shipment and had no idea it included babies. It is not clear why he wrote that 100% of the wildlife was inspected.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) inspects incoming primate shipments but NOT for compliance with wildlife laws. CDC makes very clear that it has no concern whatsoever about wildlife laws. Its sole purpose is to make sure imported monkeys are not carrying diseases like Ebola which could make humans sick.

Import declaration for 253 monkeys

Even if he never saw the monkeys and the 100% inspection claim was an inadvertent error, the inspector was supposed to have studied the documents accompanying the shipment. As seen in the table, these documents clearly list all the animals in the shipment, including the 20 babies.

Each baby is listed individually, along with his or her birthday. It seems that either the inspector didn't bother to look at this document, looked and didn't take any action, or was ignorant of the regulation he was supposed to enforce.

The only exception didn't apply

The one circumstance in which any baby animal can be shipped to the United States from overseas is for urgently needed medical care in which case the animal(s) must be accompanied by, and accessible to, veterinary care at all times.

However, this exception did not apply. The Indonesian veterinarian who did a pre­departure check of the animals signed a health certificate on 8 April in which he stated:

These animals are healthy and do not show any clinical signs of disease, tuberculosis and Ebola included.

If the April shipment had been detected

If the inspector had refused to clear the 10 April shipment, or had at the very least warned Air France and the importer not to import any more baby monkeys, the May shipment might never have taken place. In this case the mother monkey would not have died and her baby would not have been killed.

Thus the failure of the US wildlife inspection program and the carelessness of Air France led directly to suffering and unnecessary loss of monkey life.

Air France Embargoes monkey shipments

Following the May 1997 shipment, Air France embargoed all shipments of monkeys from Indonesia. Air France is one of the few airlines which carry research monkeys. IPPL has learned that Air France is under heavy pressure to resume shipments.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations do not ban shipment of pregnant or baby monkeys, but they recommend against it. The regulations state:

It is recommended as a general rule that pregnant females must not be carried. In the event that pregnant females are carried they must be placed in individual compartments or in individual containers...It is not recommended to carry females with suckling young because some females sensing danger may cause harm to their young.

It is not clear why Air France ground staff in Indonesia accepted the April and May shipments. Unfortunately the IATA rules are not prohibitions. Shipment of pregnant animals should be banned. Unattended pregnant monkeys could suffer stress or turbulence­related miscarriages in the holds of aircraft with nobody to help them. The monkeys could bleed to death with nobody knowing or caring.

It is also obvious that the stress on monkey mothers trying to care for their new babies while exposed to the heat and humidity of a tropical airport, the noise level in an aircraft, and the tossing around in turbulence, would be severe. It is bad enough for humans to travel with babies ­ and humans are not jammed in shipping crates!

Air France statement

In a statement to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, Bernard McCoy of Air France confirmed the details provided to IPPL:

We confirm that among a shipment of primates between Indonesia and the US at the end of May, an adult female died...the dead primate has been sent for an autopsy in Paris...the female had a suckling infant and consequently it was decided that this young primate should be put down by euthanasia by a veterinary surgeon.

IPPL is concerned that any veterinarian would participate in such a killing as there are undoubtedly sanctuaries in Europe which would have been pleased to raise the orphaned primate. Veterinarians are supposed to preserve animal life ­ not destroy it.

McCoy continued:

The shipment onwards to the US was delayed a couple of days due to a technical problem with the regular cargo aircraft. During this time the consignment was sent to the airport animal center at Paris CDG where the primates received excellent professional care throughout.

McCoy stated:

As a result of this incident, Air France has declared an embargo, until further notice, for all such shipments from Indonesia, as the shipper contravened not only Air France policy prohibiting the transport of baby primates, but also IATA [International Air Transport Association] regulations.

However, Air France ground staff in Jakarta did accept the April shipment and later the May shipment. The embargo only happened when members of the public protested. IPPL has also learned that the crates were not properly constructed and that several monkeys escaped in Paris.

IPPL has learned from an Indonesian animal trader that the Indonesian shipper, Inquatex, may be exporting its entire colony of around 1,500 animals to the United States. Around 700 monkeys have already been shipped. It is not clear whether the company is leaving the monkey business and, if

so, whether it will be transferred to another owner and restocked.

Wild­caught or captive­born?

The list of animals shipped in April 1997 includes animals 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 years old. All 253 animals were declared by the inspecting veterinarian and Indonesian officials to have been born in captivity. However a trade source informed IPPL that there are now large captive breeding colonies of monkeys in Indonesia, but that most only started breeding large­scale breeding of monkeys around the late 1980s, so he felt it unlikely that all the 253 monkeys were captive­born.

In August 1992 a shipment of 110 monkeys reached Miami on Lufthansa Airlines from the Inquatex firm. All the monkeys were dead on arrival. IPPL has the tattoo numbers for just the few animals that were autopsied. All these animals were of wild­caught origin, according to the Indonesian export certificate, apart from 20 infant monkeys in the shipment.

One dead animal shipped as wild­caught in August 1992 bore the tattoo number 6020. The April 1997 shipment of captive­born animals included Monkeys 6009, 6017, and 6025.

Another dead animal shipped as wild­caught in 1992 bore the tattoo number 5294. The April 1997 shipment listed as captive­bred Monkeys No. 5204, 5253 and 5336.

Without detailed knowledge of the tattoo number codes, and many more tattoo numbers to compare, it is hard to draw any definitive conclusions.

YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED

IPPL is concerned at the continuing failure of US Fish and Wildlife inspectors to inspect all incoming wildlife shipments. Without actually looking at the animals, there is no way for an inspector to know what is actually inside a crate, or whether a shipment complies with humane shipment regulations. IPPL is concerned that two shipments from Indonesia containing baby monkeys were cleared at Chicago despite the US regulation protecting babies from shipment. Please help the monkeys who cannot help themselves by writing letters on their behalf. PLEASE HELP!

1) Please send a courteous letter to:

Ms Jamie Rappaport Clark

Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington DC 20240, USA

Please ask Ms Clark to order the Division of Law Enforcement to investigate why two shipments including baby monkeys that reached Chicago in April and May 1997 in clear violation of 50 CFR, Sec. 14.105 were cleared by USFWS, and to ensure that action is taken against any party found responsible for baby monkeys being shipped. Request also that the role of the Chicago inspector who cleared the 10 April shipment of 253 monkeys be investigated.

2) Please send a letter to the President of Air France (60 cents postage for a half­ounce, $1 for an ounce) requesting the airline to stop carrying monkey shipments, especially shipments including baby and pregnant monkeys. Please ask that the embargo on monkey shipments from Indonesia be made permanent, and that Air France consider joining other airlines which do not carry monkeys at all.

M. Christian Blanc, Chairman, Air France

45 Rue de Paris

95747 Roissy CDG ­ Cedex

France

3) Please ask the Ambassador of Indonesia in the capital city of your country of residence (letters will usually arrive even if you don't know the street address) to request his government to investigate why baby and pregnant monkeys were included in recent shipments of monkeys from Indonesia to the United States, in violation of US law and the International Air Transport Association rules. Request that Indonesia ban export of pregnant and baby monkeys. Request also that wildlife authorities enforce strictly Indonesia's ban on export of wild­caught monkeys.

His Excellency Ambassador Arifin Mohamad Siregar

Embassy of Indonesia

2020 Massachusetts Ave NW

Washington DC 20036, USA

His Excellency the Ambassador of Indonesia

38 Grosvenor Square

London W1X 9AD, England

4) LAST BUT NOT LEAST! Please send a letter to your Representative (House Office Building, Washington DC 20515) and your two senators (Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510), telling them that you know about two shipments of monkeys from Indonesia that reached the United States in April and May of 1997. Tell them that both shipments included baby monkeys, which is a violation of US law. Note that the April 1997 shipment which included 20 monkeys was cleared by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Note that the Chicago wildlife inspector claimed on the import form that 100% of the shipment was inspected. If this was true, the inspector would have seen the baby monkeys and should have confiscated the shipment. Request your representatives to ask the US Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate these shipments and take action against all involved and not "whitewash" the incidents.

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MORE ON INDONESIAN MONKEY SHIPMENTS

The August 1997 issue of IPPL News told about several large shipments of monkeys from Indonesia to the United States. IPPL provided readers with details of two shipments which appeared to violate US Lacey Act regulations which banthe import of baby animals, except for urgent medical care.

The two suspect shipments are summarized below, listed by date of arrival in the United States.

April 10, 1997 shipment

This shipment was sent by the Indonesian exporter Inquatex to the US company, LABS of Virginia which maintains a large monkey colony in Yemassee, South Carolina. It consisted of 253 animals, of which 20 were babies shipped with their nursing mothers. This is a violation of US regulations and International Air Transport Association (IATA) Guidelines. Some of the babies were just 4 weeks old. Nineteen monkeys were pregnant.

Monkeys as old as 16 years formed part of this shipment, despite Indonesia's ban on export of wild­caught monkeys and the extreme unlikelihood of hundreds of monkeys being born in captivity at the exporter's facility prior to 1994, the year Indonesia's ban on export of wild­caught monkeys was

instituted. IPPL is seeking information on the current status of this ban.

May 30, 1997 shipment

This shipment consisted of 255 monkeys when it left Jakarta. There were 19 babies with their mothers and 6 pregnant monkeys. One baby was just three weeks old. One nursing mother monkey was dead on arrival at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris. Her baby was killed. Another monkey escaped. The sub­standard crates were covered in extra chicken wire at Paris to prevent further escapes.

Flagrant violations meet official inertia

These two shipments violated US humane shipment regulations banning shipment of infant animals. They also violated the IATA standards for crate construction and the IATA guidelines against shipping infants and pregnant animals.

As of 23 October, no action had been taken by the US Fish and Wildlife Service against anyone involved in these shipments. despite repeated requests from IPPL and a deluge of letters to the US Fish and Wildlife Service from concerned members.

The International Air Transport Association said compliance with its guidelines was voluntary and that IATA could, and would, do NOTHING. This suggests that the guidelines are a joke!

Incredibly, Pierre Lamour of Air France sits on the IATA Live Animals Board ­ while his airline violates its guidelines!

IPPL Follow­up

Concerned at these shipments, IPPL submitted Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The CDC's quarantine branch inspects incoming primate shipments for compliance with US quarantine standards. It has no jurisdiction over wildlife laws, which is the responsibility of USFWS inspectors. Unfortunately the inspectors seldom look at primate shipments.

In theory CDC should inform USFWS of possible violations of US law. In practice it doesn't, as you will see from some of the documents presented in this article. This lack of cooperation is shocking. CDC is a user of primates itself and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services,

which spends hundreds of millions of dollars on primate experiments. So CDC's monitoring of the primate trade is like the fox guarding the hen­house!

IPPL used FOIA to request from CDC documents pertaining to all shipments of crab­eating macaques reaching the United States in 1997. We have received some documents and are appealing denial of many more. CDC has handled the request improperly, in our opinion, because it has failed to list documents it refused.

To understand the documents, one needs to know the cast of human characters. Ms. Sena Blumensaadt inspects primate shipments reaching Chicago for CDC. Thomas De Marcus directs the CDC primate inspection program from Atlanta, Georgia (he likes to call himself "The Monkey Man!"). David Rogers is De Marcus's deputy.

Kritter Krates is a Texas­based company that collects primates at ports of entry and trucks them to their final destinations, often hundreds of miles away. Jim Hoover works for Kritter Krates.

January 25, 1997 shipment

On January 25, 1997, a shipment of 100 crab­eating monkeys reached Chicago from Indonesia on Northwest Airlines, in bitterly cold weather. The Indonesian supplier was CV Universal Fauna (run by Frankie Sulaiman) and the importer was Covance of Denver, Pennsylvania.

According to CDC, the primates were removed from the plane to a cargo area in a "tug." A tug is a tractor pulling a trailer in which suitcases are normally carried. The trailers are not normally heated. One hopes these living, frightened primates were not treated like suitcases.

IPPL has requested further information from Northwest Airlines. The ramp staff could not wear tyvek suits (used to protect inspectors from disease) because "they could not fit them over the heavy winter clothing they were wearing."

CDC commented:

It was so cold that ramp/cargo personnel had no interest in any cargo shipment. This is one advantage of shipping the nonhuman primates in winter!

The animals were trucked from Chicago to Denver, Pennsylvania. CDC described the truck:

Cab separate from storage area as are the heating and refrigeration...units. Walls of storage area are covered in some kind of styrofoam and the floor is metal."

In response to the question on the CDC checklist, "Were the primates fed and watered during transfer?" CDC commented:

Because of the extreme cold and wind XXX [name deleted by CDC, presumably an employee of the trucking firm] decided to wait to feed and water until they could find a sheltered area.

CDC Chicago inspector Ms. Sena Blumensaadt commented in a message to Tom De Marcus, her boss in Atlanta:

NHPs on NW 006 came in today. All are alive, alert and managed to survive the blistering cold in Chicago unlike Jim who works for XXX [trucking company, name deleted by CDC] and who took a bad tumble on the ice, poor fellow.

IPPL wonders why a shipment of tropical monkeys was sent to icy, windy, Chicago in midwinter, and is seeking to clarify what US regulations, if any, are applicable to shipments undertaken in weather extremes.

February 20, 1997 shipment

The first of the big monkey shipments from Inquatex to LABS reached Chicago on 20 February 1997. It consisted of 220 crab­eating macaques. On 14 March 1997, CDC contacted LABS to complain about the February shipment. Michael Marty of CDC commented:

The rental truck used to transport a shipment of primates from the port of entry to the quarantine facility (21 hours travel time) was of inadequate size for the crates being transported. The crates were packed too densely to allow safe access for routine feeding, watering, and monitoring the health

of the animals or the security of the crates.

Marty also complained about stray cats in proximity to the LABS primate quarantine facility and the refusal of the trucker's employees to perform "disinfection of the rental truck prior to departure from facility, indicating it would be done on arrival back in Houston, prior to return to owner."

March 5, 1997 shipment

A shipment of 100 monkeys shipped by CV Universal Fauna reached Chicago from Indonesia on 5 March. This was the shipment referred to in an e­mail from Thomas De Marcus to the Chicago CDC office:

From De Marcus, Thomas A

To Quarantine station, Chicago [and list of recipients of copies of De Marcus' e­mail, which did not include USFWS]

Subject: Wednesday evening, Monkey business

Date: Tuesday, March 04, 1997

FYI, I plan to be in Denver PA on Thursday evening to monitor the arrival of Covance's shipment scheduled to arrive on AF 6400 Wednesday p.m. I will be in travel status this pm and tomorrow. Please use Voicecom...to keep me posted re: any delays, canceled flights, ETA in Denver etc. Thanks.

Monkey Man

Mr. De Marcus calls himself the "Monkey Man" frequently! The reply from Chicago stated: 10­4 Monkey Man!

For non US readers "10­4" means "Message Received" in citizens' band radio jargon!

March 22, 1997 shipment

On March 22, 1997, a shipment of 100 crab­eating macaques reached O'Hare Airport, Chicago from Indonesia on Northwest Airlines. The shipper was CV Universal Fauna and the importer was Covance, a Pennsylvania firm. The CDC inspector left part of the check­list blank because:

The areas that are left blank, are left blank because the inspector was not present for the entire shipment. Due to weekend staffing, there was only one inspector on duty.

A US Fish and Wildlife Service inspector was reportedly present to inspect this shipment.

More about 30 May 1997 shipment

On 30 May 1997 the shipment of 253 monkeys mentioned earlier reached O'Hare Airport, Chicago, from Jakarta, Indonesia. This shipment included 19 babies aged three weeks and up, and six pregnant monkeys. This is one of the two shipments from Inquatex to LABS that are the cause of international protest.

The primates were unloaded from the plane at 4.22 a.m. and transfer to the truck began at 4.35. CDC inspector Sena Blumensaadt, who works at O'Hare Airport, commented on her inspection form:

These crates were a MESS. Many of them had sections as large as 4 inch circles chewed out by the NHPs. They were made of 1/4 inch plywood with ends that barely met at the corners. The windows were meshed with 3 layers of chicken wire. The handles were black heavy metal on each side and were the only item I can describe as being free of sharp projections! In France, someone also nailed another layer of chicken wire around the entire cage (not the top or bottom but around the sides).

On 29 May Ms. Blumensaadt reported to Tom De Marcus:

We rec'd a call today from Air France about the NHP importation scheduled for this evening. The plane has had a mechanical and has been canceled. Mike (AF Rep) told me that because of the "nature of the commodity" on board, they will scurry and try to get them on tomorrow's late evening cargo flight. If unsuccessful, they will be arriving at O'Hare at 4 a.m. on Saturday.

Marty asked me about the current location of the monkeys and how they'll be nurtured, so I called Mike back to find out. They have arrived in France and Mike reports, "They're not in cages, there's a place at the airport where they'll keep the animals...well, maybe they're left in the cages, but they'll be taken care of...well, I'm positive they're OK no matter where they are."

So, for what it's worth, this is the "official" report from Air France on the status of the NHPs!!!!

Ms. Blumensaadt later reported to Tom De Marcus:

All NHPs arrived on time and in good shape. However the CRATES were in awful shape. The NHPs were having a field day figuring how to escape from Alcatraz and one actually managed it by chewing thru the 1/4 inch plywood. Luckily, the escape occurred while at the animal handlers' in France and so they were able to capture it. The potential for further problems like this one is the reason AF gave me for their current moratorium on shipping NHPs.

The wonderful thing is that someone in France then patched up the crates and nailed a mesh around the outside of the crates to ensure that another "escapee wannabee" didn't succeed. I told an AF cargo supervisor how happy I was about this and he telexed his folks in France thanking them on my behalf. Anyway, because of the outside mesh, XXX [trucker, name deleted by CDC] didn't feed and water, and so these 255 NHPs were rapidly transferred without problems.

I'm working Monday and will type up the report and e­mail it to you then.

Shockingly, Ms. Blumensaadt did not alert USFWS, despite the inhumane sub­standard crates and the presence of babies in the shipment. Tom De Marcus replied, with multiple copies, but none to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which enforces the US humane shipment regulations.

Thanx Sena, as you know, this shipment is one of a series of large shipments from Indonesia to LABS of Virginia in SC. From communications with LABS late Friday and again on Sunday, I learned that the shipment included several nursing mother/infant pairs and that one mother had died en route. The animal was reportedly necropsied in Paris and the infant euthanized.

AF [Air France] was very concerned about this (apparently they had problems with this shipper before and has had a commitment they would not ship such pairs) as well as the inadequate crates. [IPPL comment: in that case Air France ground personnel in Jakarta should have refused to carry the mother/infant pairs].

It's possible the delay caused by the death contributed to the crate failure and escape in Paris, considering the poor crate construction. I hope to get more info re what happened in Paris and the extent of the moratorium.

The shipment arrived in SC in good shape early Sunday and the animals were transferred (with some difficulty due to the reinforcement you described) into their quarantine cages. Dr. Ward at LABS will be providing photos: did you happen to get any? Did Fish and Wildlife monitor the arrival and see the crates and mother/baby pairs?

Thanks again for your conscientious attention to details in monitoring these unpredictable shipments.

USFWS was not present to inspect this shipment. It is clear that CDC knew something was wrong ­ and apparently failed to inform USFWS. It is also clear that LABS has photos that USFWS could obtain ­ if it wanted.

June 9, 1997 shipment

The memo that follows was written by "Marty" (Martha Remis of CDC­Chicago), referring to a shipment reaching Bowman­Gray on June 9, 1997. Ms. Remis described her inspection as "basically a non­inspection!"

Subject NHPs arrive 13.20 on NW 006. Only problem was Northwest Airlines. Ramp crew which was quite disgruntled. Apparently union had worked out agreement that crew would unload NHPs only if flight was preceded by 24 hour notice and a faxed copy of the health certificate which was not forthcoming on this particular shipment. Perhaps because of cancellation and date change, who knows. Two lift operators apparently refused to unload the NHPs. The chief eventually did it, although not without some complaining.

XXX [name deleted by CDC, presumably someone from the trucking company] did most of the work which I find amusing ­ under almost any other circumstances I could imagine the union having apoplexy at the sight of a non­union outsider actually doing their job!!! XXX also did a nice job smoothing ruffled feathers with the chief and promising to help out with the health certificate. Crates were in much better condition than last shipment. I am the only one on duty, so this was basically a non­inspection, which will be followed by a non­report!!!

One day in advance of this shipment, De Marcus advised CDC inspectors in Chicago they needn't bother inspecting it, despite this being what the inspectors are paid to do, in order to protect public health. De Marcus told CDC­Chicago.

I know its your policy to monitor every arriving shipment, but be advised that it is not essential to monitor this shipment. It is my understanding that this itinerary has been used successfully by other importers on numerous occasions.

De Marcus should know that each shipment contains different monkeys ­ even if they travel along the same itinerary. It seems that CDC is far too "cozy" with the animal dealers it is supposed to regulate.

June 21, 1997 shipment

A shipment of 100 crab­eating macaques reached the United States from Indonesia on June 21, 1997. An Indonesian health certificate dated June 20, 1997 issued by Jakarta airport veterinarian Lukas A. Tonga accompanied this shipment. Universal Fauna, owned by Frankie Sulaiman, shipped these monkeys to Covance.

From: Quarantine Station, Chicago

To: Rogers, David

Cc: De Marcus, Thomas A [no copy to USFWS despite possible violations of humane shipping standards under Lacey Act]

Subject: NHP importation on 6­21­97

Date: Tuesday, 24 June 1997 03:22PM

I observed something interesting during this importation ... when Jim Hoover of Kritter Krates was arranging for the aircraft door to be opened by the loader driver, he said that he would like to be right there as the door opened "in case there's an escaped monkey". Sure enough, these crates were flimsy and were made in the same way as the crates that allowed one NHP to escape in France. At the time of the other shipment, Jim Hoover said that he is accustomed to getting poorly constructed crates from that particular importer, so perhaps he was anticipating these flimsy crates which allow crafty NHP's to escape.

My question is this: is there any way that we can put some thumbscrews on someone to insist on a certain standard for the crates? Some arrive in great condition, are made of thick plywood, have triple­mesh over the "windows", have metal strips reinforcing all the edges (not just the corners) and have big, thick metal handles and absorbent bedding on the floors.

The ones I saw for the shipment on 6­21­97 were made of thin plywood, had single­mesh over the windows, and were reinforced with yellow plastic strips (but they wouldn't help at all if an NHP got it into his head to start chewing).

I just don't want to embarrass myself in public. Let me give you an example! Yesterday, I was in my bedroom and bent down to pick up an obscure black thing and found, to my shock, that it was a half squished beetle which had enough life left in it to wave its feelers at my nose while the other half of his body crumbled in my hand and fell back to the floor.

I involuntarily shrieked, tossed the awful thing away from me and ran for the antibiotic soap to wash away the bug germs ... can you imagine how embarrassed I would be if a monkey jumped out at me and my first reaction was The Shriek of The Sniveling Coward?! I've given myself firm instructions to zipper my lips, but who knows what I'll do during an actual escape attempt when even quadriplegic beetles best me?!?!

So, if we could do anything that would make the exporters provide adequate caging (and save me the indignity of squealing in public), I would be mighty grateful!

CDC evidently was highly amused by Ms. Blumensaadt's

comments:

From: Rogers, David

To: Quarantine Station, Chicago

Cc: De Marcus, Thomas [no copy to USFWS despite

comments on possibly illegal crates]

Subject: RE: NHP importation on 6­21­97

Date: Wednesday, June 25, 1997 7:53AM

Sena ­ As usual, your unique style communicates clearly and gives us a laugh at the same time. There have been other instances of flimsy crates from another shipper in Indonesia, also involving Air France, and even some reluctance on the part of AF to carry critters in the face of the possible problems. LABS of Virginia (curiously located in SC) has been involved. Tom will be back Friday so I'll refer to him and maybe he can knock some heads together.

July 27, 1997 shipment

On July 27, 1997, another shipment of crab­eating macaques reached Covance. Ms. Blumensaadt noted that:

All the above information was provided to me by XXX [name, probably trucker's, deleted by CDC for privacy reasons, which means that its informant was a private party not a government official: government officials do not get Privacy Act protection and their names are not redacted from FOIA documents]. I did not observe this importation.

However, when the plane blocked, I went to the crate and notified Jim ["Jim" is maybe Jim Hoover of Kritter Krates: whoever it is, IPPL wonders why CDC is apparently delegating its jurisdiction to a regulated entity: as seen below, there were discrepancies in observations between "Jim" and USFWS] that I would be unavailable for this flight and explained why.

I asked him to contact me after processing the NHPs to give me pertinent information on this importation. The following represents his report...

Jim reported that the NHPs all looked fine: he saw no evidence of cuts, scrapes or other injuries and no evidence of ill health. The Fish and Wildlife inspector Lydia Handy said that one NHP had puncture wounds across its forehead, indicating that the mesh protruding into the crate had injured at least one NHP.

Fish and Wildlife provided one officer in charge and two inspectors to thoroughly inspect this shipment: Agriculture signed a release authorization without going to visually inspect the shipment: Customs authorized release pending release by all other federal agencies.

XXX's [maybe trucking firm's] representatives wore tyvek suits, face masks, goggles, latex gloves, rubber boots: F & W inspectors wore their blue "bunny suits," HEPA filters, latex gloves...

NOTE: Fish and Wildlife say they will cite/fine the importer for the fraudulent vet certs, for humane violations (wire mesh protruding into the cages where they could harm the NHPs and NHPs had ripped off several water bottles.

NOTE: XXX [name omitted by CDC, presumably employee of trucking company] says that minor damage to both the NHPs and the crates are habitual: he reports that the NHPs have hours in which to become bored or stressed and will rip and bite at the crates and frequently receive minor scratches. He said these would not be reported unless the NHPs showed signs of serious stress (self­inflicted bites or pulling out of hair).

New information on Inquatex­LABS dealings

Four large shipments of primates, all purportedly captive­born, totalling over 800 monkeys, have already reached the US firm LABS of Virginia from the Indonesian dealer Inquatex. Newly­obtained CDC documents provide more details on this unusually large transfer of animals:

From Thomas De Marcus to 4 CDC personnel [De Marcus did not include USFWS on his circulation list]

Subject: Multiple LABS imports scheduled

Date: Wednesday, January 29, 1997

LABS of Virginia (located in SC) has purchased a [CDC deletion about 28 letters] and plan to import some [CDC deletion of 4 numbers and a space] animals in the coming months. They're planning their first shipment of [CDC deletion, presumably number of monkeys] ASAP.

However, they have not responded fully to items identified in our last inspection (see attached letter), need to get additional quarantine rooms approved, and must modify their plan for the potentially new itinerary. I advised Dr. Ward [a LABS veterinarian] of this on the phone yesterday and followed it up w/a fax today... This facility has the potential to become a major importer. We need to plan on monitoring the arrival of this shipment and the uncrating at the facility. I'll keep you posted.

From Thomas De Marcus to 3 CDC personnel [no USFWS employees received warning of the impending importations]

Subject: Multiple LABS imports being scheduled

Date: Monday, February 03, 1997

LABS has addressed the pending issues and hopes to do the first shipment of [CDC deletion] animals into Miami via the AF cargo flight on 15 Feb. We'll want to monitor closely, including uncrating, which will likely require travel on Sunday/Monday of President's Day weekend. I'll keep you posted.

From Thomas De Marcus, to 4 CDC employees [again no copies to USFWS]

RE: Multiple LABS imports being scheduled

Date: Tuesday, February 04, 1997

Woops! Now LABS says their first big one will arrive on AF into Chicago on Feb. 19. [CDC deletion of name of trucking company] is to truck the animals to Yemassee, SC. Donna Jones is making arrangements for Dr. Ward who is on his way to Indonesia to supervise the operation from that end. I'm sure Quarantine Services Chicago will assist her with ORDS [O'Hare Airport, Chicago] contacts and arrangements (more later).

A letter from De Marcus to veterinarian George Ward of LABS dated 29 January 1997 says:

Thank you for the call yesterday regarding your plan to import some [CDC deletion of 4 numbers and one space] cynomolgus monkeys from Indonesia. Sounds like you're going to be very busy.

It appears that the total number of monkeys to be imported to the United States is over 1,000 from the spaces on the CDC memos. IPPL is seeking information at the Indonesian end regarding whether all the 800+ monkeys involved so far in this series of shipments (more are reportedly expected) ­ all originating from one facility and bound for one facility ­ are in fact captive­born, as claimed by the exporter's veterinarian and on the Indonesian government export permit.
 

LETTERS NEEDED!

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents reproduced in this article show what IPPL believes to be a thoroughly disrespectful attitude towards primates forced through no fault of their own to leave their homelands to suffer and die in the United States. We are also concerned that inspectors from the CDC are apparently seeing flagrant violations of wildlife law and failing to report them to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for investigation.

Tom De Marcus, head of the CDC primate inspection program (who even calls himself "The Monkey Man") even allowed an agent of an importer to undertake his own "inspection" of an incoming shipment! De Marcus also fails to include USFWS on the list of people he contacts about planned shipments.

Please send a letter to the Director of CDC requesting that he take steps to ensure that CDC cooperates with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and that its employees show more respect for primates undergoing the nightmare of international transportation.

Address for letters:

David Satcher M.D., Director

Centers for Disease Control

1600 Clifton Rd NE

Atlanta GA 30333, USA

To the best of IPPL's knowledge, the USFWS Division of Law Enforcement has ignored hundreds of postcards and letters of concern from members of the public around the world who want action taken against anyone found culpably involved in the shipment of baby monkeys, and monkeys in substandard crates, to the United States, in violation of humane shipment laws.

The inspector who untruthfully stated on the 3­177 import declaration form that he had inspected 100% of the 10 April shipment that included babies, when in truth he had inspected neither the shipment nor the travel documents which listed the 19 babies individually, is still collecting a salary from US taxpayers.

The then chief of the USFWS Division of Law Enforcement, Thomas Striegeler, who failed to answer two separate IPPL requests for an investigation, has been given a new assignment. IPPL has long had a very low opinion of Mr. Striegeler's quality of work. The incoming chief is Kevin Adams, who may well have heard nothing at all about the shipments.

Please send Mr. Adams a letter expressing your concern that no action has been taken against anyone involved in a series of shipments of monkeys that reached Chicago, USA, from Indonesia in 1997 in flagrant violation of US humane shipment laws. Monkeys in sub­standard crates were transported by Air France. Two Air France shipments contained baby monkeys. Northwest Airlines imported monkeys in freezing January weather. Request that investigation of these shipments be given a high priority.

Address for letters:

Kevin Adams, Chief

Division of Law Enforcement, USFWS

POB 3247

Arlington VA 22203­3247 USA
 
 

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