Agra: Three Infant Rhesus Macaques Used for Performances Rescued by Forest Division, Following PETA India Complaint
For Immediate Release:
10 October 2025
Contact:
Meet Ashar; [email protected]
Hiraj Laljani; [email protected]
Agra—Following a complaint from a local resident about three infant rhesus macaques who were illegally held captive, cruelly chained, and used for performances in Agra, in violation of several animal protection laws, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) urgently worked with Mr. Rahul Jain, a concerned local and the Agra Forest Division to rescue the primates. The macaques had been restrained with a rope and used for street performances or begging, leaving them visibly distressed. After being declared healthy, they were released back into their natural habitat.
It is illegal to use monkeys for performances in India. In 1998, the central government issued a notification that prohibited the use of monkeys, amongst several other wild species, for performances vide a notification issued under Section 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India (MOEFCC), in its letter bearing F. No. WL-8/91/2024-WL, dated 09 September 2024, clarified that Rhesus Macaque is protected under Appendix II of Schedule IV of the Wild Life Protection Act (WPA), 1972. And 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 animal in his possession to the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW).
To ensure implementation of Section 49M, the MOEFCC notified the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, vide Gazette Notification dated 28 February 2024. As per the Rules every person who is in possession of any living specimen of species listed in Schedule IV of the WPA, 1972, is required to report the details of such animals and submit an application for registration electronically through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal to the CWLW of the concerned State, within a period of six months from the issue of gazette notification and or within thirty days of possession of such animal species.
Thus, keeping rhesus macaques in captivity without Parivesh portal registration a punishable offence that may lead to imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.
“PETA India is thankful to the Agra Forest Division, particularly Shri Deepak Kumar, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Agra, for their swift action in rescuing the illegally confined macaques and ensuring rehabilitation,” says PETA India’s Cruelty Response Coordinator, Sinchana Subramnayan. “We urge compassionate citizens to stay vigilant and report any instances of cruelty to wildlife or other animals to the forest department or the police.”
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.
To report cruelty to animals or emergencies involving them, please call PETA India on (0) 98201 22602.
PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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