Chennai Forest Division Rescues Monkey Abused for Entertainment Following PETA India Complaint
Moolakadai, Kodungaiyur, ChennaiPETA India is grateful to the Chennai Forest Division, particularly Mr. R. Kalaiventhan, Range Forest Officer, and Miss M. Vinithrraa, Forest Guard, for their swift action in rescuing the illegally confined monkey. The monkey is currently at the Forest Department’s rehabilitation facility. A veterinarian will examine the monkey, following which the Forest Department will plan the release.
It is illegal to use monkeys for performances in India. In 1998, the central government issued a notification under Section 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, prohibiting the use of monkeys for performances. Rhesus macaques are protected under Appendix II of Schedule IV of the WPA, 1972. Possessing a rhesus macaque without reporting and registering the animal in accordance with Section 49M of the Act and the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal, is a punishable offence that may result in imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to ₹1 lakh, or both.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India (MOEFCC), in its letter bearing F. No. WL-8/91/2024-WL, dated 9 September 2024, stated that all primates are listed in Appendix II of CITES and that the export of rhesus macaques is governed by Section 49-I of the WPA, 1972. Rhesus macaques, therefore, fall within the Schedule IV/CITES regulatory framework of the Act.
As per Section 49M of the WPA, 1972, every person possessing a living specimen of an animal species listed in Schedule IV is required to report the details of such specimen to the Management Authority or authorized officer, and no person may possess, transfer, or breed such a specimen except in conformity with the section and the rules made under it.
To implement Section 49M, MOEFCC notified the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, vide Gazette Notification dated 28 February 2024. Under these Rules, every person in possession of any living specimen of a species listed in Schedule IV of the Act is required to report the details of such animal and submit an application for registration electronically through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal to the concerned State Chief Wild Life Warden, within six months from the commencement of the Rules and thereafter within 30 days of possession of such animal species.
In addition to being revered in Hinduism, rhesus macaques play an important role in local ecosystems by dispersing seeds, which is largely due to their predominantly fruit-based diet, and their absence can be detrimental to forests.
