Rhesus Macaques Forced to Perform Rescued by Faridabad Forest Division and Police, Following PETA India Complaint

For Immediate Release:

26 May 2026

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Faridabad- Following a complaint from a concerned citizen about two infant rhesus macaques who were illegally held captive, cruelly chained, and used for performances in Faridabad, in violation of several animal protection laws, People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) worked with the Faridabad Police and Faridabad Forest Division to rescue the primates. The macaques had been restrained with a rope and used for street performances and 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 and for performances vide a notification issued under Section 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Photos and videos of the release of the monkeys post-rescue are available upon request.

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 macaques are 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 their 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 is 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 grateful to the Faridabad Forest Division and Faridabad Police, particularly Shri Ram Kumar Jangra, Divisional Forest Officer and Shri Darpan Kumar, Inspector of Dhauj Police Station, for their swift action in rescuing and releasing the illegally confined monkeys,” says PETA India’s Cruelty Response Coordinator, Ishani Rathee. “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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