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Their photos have never been posted on Petfinder.com, nor should they be. The thousands of unseen faces Debra would like to see released to permanent sanctuary belong to monkeys - highly intelligent animals forced to exchange their natural environments and families for research labs in Massachusetts. The truth about monkeys in Massachusetts astonished me. When I heard it for the first time during Debra's interview, I wondered if anyone outside of the scientific community knew, or if this was all a very well kept secret. The third largest population of non-human primates in the U.S.A. lives in my home state. More than 5,200 monkeys lead a lonely, frightening existence in Massachusetts - many of them hidden within some of our nation's most hallowed university walls. The most current statistics available from the USDA APHIS Animal Care Annual Report of Activities for Fiscal Year 2007 quotes 69,990 nonhuman primates used in research nationwide that year. This number tends to be low because not all facility reports are in by the time it goes to publication. The numbers of monkeys used in research increases each year. In 2006, the total was 62,315. The 2008 statistics will likely not be available until 2010. And though it's difficult to track people who buy and breed them (legally and illegally,) it is assumed that another approx. 15,000 monkeys are kept here as pets. I met Debra several years ago when she was searching for a place where the creatures she cares about could live out the rest of their lives peacefully, and perhaps even with some joy. The physical, psychological, and emotional suffering many of these animals have endured is something she doesn't talk about much, as much of it is simply unspeakable. Instead, this unconquerable woman chose to press on toward the prize, and after six years of searching, the New England Primate Sanctuary's torch bearer has a place to renovate and finally call home. Marc Johnson, founder of Foster Parrots, generously offered Debra access to a former chicken processing plant on land bequested to his non-profit group. The large, private acreage includes a 30,000 square foot building surrounded by potentially beautiful grounds. As we walked through the endless maze of chilly, abandoned rooms, I asked Debra what it will take for the monkeys on her waiting list to be released to her Sanctuary's care. Debra: There's a lot of construction that needs to go on here. If there's a local construction company that would like to help out with labor, we'd be happy for that. Bonnie: What breeds of monkeys are used in research? Debra: In research the monkeys that are most frequently used are Macaques, both Rhesus and Long Tail Macaques. Right now the Long Tail Macaques are the ones that are being imported into the United States more frequently. |
The Rhesus Macaques are aging out in research, and these are the calls that we're getting every month. And they still have, depending upon the species of monkeys, many of them will have twenty, thirty years of life ahead of them. So isn't it nice to be able to give them someplace to live out the rest of their lives where there are no longer any expectations of what they are to be except to be monkeys? Bonnie: What would normally happen to monkeys who aren't released to sanctuaries when their time in research expires? Debra: They'd be killed, or recycled back into research. If we're nearby, chances are much better that they're going to have that place to go. Touring me around the overgrown outdoor spaces, Debra shared her vision for where the monkeys will eventually be able to rest, heal, and play. Debra: We have a beautiful courtyard back here, and we're actually going to expand this courtyard, and this will be for many of them the first time they've seen the sky. Bonnie: What's it been like to pursue your dream of creating a primate sanctuary in New England? Debra sighed heavily, as if that in itself would be a very long story. Debra: This was a much more difficult road than I expected it to be - never thought it would have taken this long - never thought that we would have met the resistance that we met… This is not an easy task, but I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing. To assist the New England Primate Sanctuary by volunteering your time, goods, or construction help; to make a donation, or to learn more about monkeys, please click here www.neprimatesanctuary.org |