Dozens of Primatologists Join PETA India in Urging Stronger Protections for At-Risk Rhesus Macaques
In a letter sent on 02 April 2025, more than 60 leading primatologists and wildlife experts joined PETA India in urging the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) to reinstate rhesus macaques as a protected species under the Wild Life Protection Act (WPA), 1972, and grant them the highest protection, afforded to many other indigenous species, under Schedule I.
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The letter notes that without the protections – which were removed in 2022 after being in place for 50 years – rhesus macaques face capture, abuse, and exploitation in the pet trade, street performances, and other cruel practices that threaten their survival. The letter points out that the removal of rhesus macaques from their natural habitat also risks devastating ecological disruption, increased human-wildlife conflict, and the spread of zoonotic diseases in India and around the world.
Rhesus macaques are social and intelligent individuals nursed by their mothers for up to one year. In addition to being revered in Hinduism, rhesus macaques fulfill an important role in local ecosystems by dispersing seeds – due to their mostly fruit-based diet – and their absence can be detrimental to forest ecology.
Monkeys taken from their natural habitats and exploited by the “pet” trade or for roadside performances often have their canines and incisors forcibly removed, frequently causing severe pain, infection, and long-term health issues – as well as leaving them completely defenceless if abandoned. Deprived of social learning, captive monkeys often exhibit unnatural behaviours – which can lead to human-wildlife conflict – while the intense stress of capture and confinement can weaken their immune systems, increasing the risk of spreading potentially deadly zoonotic diseases to humans, including tuberculosis, herpes B, and simian foamy virus.
