PETA Rescues More Monkeys From Thailand’s Cruel Coconut Industry
Lek and Jor, two monkeys chained and forced to pick coconuts in Thailand’s abusive coconut industry, have been rescued by PETA and Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT)!
The monkeys are receiving urgent medical attention before moving to open-field, outdoor group enclosures at WFFT.
Lek and Jor were forced to race up and down trees to pick coconuts in Thailand’s coconut industry. Lek is struggling with mobility issues after a piece of wood pierced his chest, which will be X-rayed, while Jor is receiving urgent dental work for his rotten teeth.
After they fully recover, the two monkeys will live out the rest of their lives in peace—no longer exploited by humans—in the PETA-funded enclosures, where they’ll be able to climb, roam, play, and bond with other monkeys.
In April, PETA and WFFT teamed up to rescue another monkey, named Odd. He was found with an infected wound caused by a tight metal ring around his neck that had become painfully and deeply embedded in his skin, and he was also suffering from a lung infection. He received urgent veterinary care.
Today, Odd is safe at WFFT, where—with care and treatment—he can heal.
Monkeys Don’t Belong in Thailand’s Coconut Industry
After seeing PETA’s investigations exposing the rampant abuse of monkeys in Thailand’s coconut industry, more than 30,000 stores around the world will no longer purchase products made by Chaokoh—a brand that obtains coconuts for items like coconut milk through forced monkey labor. The majority of these stores will also no longer buy any coconut products derived from monkey labor in Thailand.
PETA found that many coconut farms keep monkeys tethered on barren patches of dirt for extended periods of time and force them to collect heavy coconuts. These keenly intelligent primates are sometimes reduced to circus sideshows, forced to perform demeaning tricks in front of visitors as a means of further increasing profits.
Although Odd, Lek, and Jor were rescued, countless monkeys are still bound by the Thai coconut industry’s chains. Monkeys don’t want to be restrained, punished, and forced to pick coconuts all day long—these nurturing, empathetic animals have their own interests, families, and friendships. They aren’t ours to use.
Please make sure that the coconut products you purchase don’t come from any companies that exploit monkeys. Click the button below to urge Chaokoh to stop supporting this cruel industry by obtaining its coconuts from farms that don’t use monkeys. If you’d like to donate to PETA to help us rescue more monkeys, please click here.
