Monkey census at Angkor Wat raises concerns over animal testing

A census of monkeys at Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cambodia, has raised concerns among animal rights groups regarding the potential relocation of aggressive monkeys to breeding farms for laboratory testing. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced plans to identify and relocate these monkeys after the Pchum Ben festival in October. Animal protection organization Action for Primates (AfP) has criticized this move, labeling it as exceptionally cruel and attributing the monkeys' aggressive behavior to years of exploitation by tourists. The monkeys have become dependent on human interaction for food, leading to unnatural behaviors that pose risks to both the animals and visitors. Videos circulating online depict disturbing instances of mistreatment, such as a baby monkey being doused with water and a juvenile macaque being manipulated for entertainment. Although authorities do not condone these actions, enforcement remains challenging. Long Kosal, deputy director general of the Apsara National Authority, acknowledged the difficulty in stopping such exploitation and urged videographers to refrain from abusing the monkeys for content creation. Nick Marx from the Wildlife Alliance emphasized that the financial incentive behind these videos perpetuates the problem, suggesting that reducing viewership could help mitigate abuse. The situation highlights the broader issue of wildlife exploitation for entertainment, raising ethical questions about the treatment of animals in tourist hotspots. The welfare of the monkeys remains a pressing concern as authorities navigate the complexities of managing human-animal interactions in such a popular destination.