China is still keen on receiving monkeys from Sri Lanka, Minister for Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera said.
Speaking in Parliament today (Jan 09), Minister Amaraweera said during his recent visit to China, private zoo companies had expressed their hopes of acquiring the Sri Lankan toque macaque monkeys.
“The private Chinese zoo companies are still looking forward to acquiring Sri Lankan monkeys for exhibition purposes. There are around 20,000 private zoos in China. However, we are unable to move forward due to the actions of animal activists and organizations,” he said.
The minister also pointed out the court case filed against this move, resulting in a court order being issued prohibiting the export of Sri Lankan monkeys to China.
Emphasizing that monkeys were a key cause for the destruction of crops, including nearly 700 million coconuts a year, Minister Amaraweera said the government will now have to look into alternative ways to address crop destruction.
The minister proposed in Parliament for the Ministries of Defence and Wildlife Conservation to provide a solution for the destruction of crops by certain wild animals. (NewsWire)