Research Center Applies for Permit to Experiment on Endangered Monkeys

Investigative writer Georgianne Nienaber comments on the alliance between conservation organizations and medical research.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) June 2, 2006 -- The Atlanta-based Yerkes National Primate Research Center applied for a permit to conduct medical experiments and possibly kill endangered mangabey monkeys in its primate colony. Yerkes is affiliated with Emory University. Georgianne Nienaber, an investigative writer and author of the book, “Gorilla Dreams: The Legacy of Dian Fossey,” is concerned by Yerkes’ request, especially because Dian Fossey was a member of the International Primate Protection League (IPPL) and would have strongly opposed the plan.

Nienaber said, “Dian herself had several monkeys that she kept in Karisoke, the most famous being the monkey Kima. As a member of IPPL, Dian would resist any plan to conduct medical experiments on endangered mangabeys and kill unwanted animals.” In addition, Nienaber is concerned about the alliance between conservation organizations and medical research because it is exactly the opposite of everything that Dian Fossey lived and died for.

“I was surprised to learn that a member of the Board of Directors of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Dr. Terry Maple, wrote a letter in support of this project. If Dian were alive, this would never happen,” said Nienaber.

Yerkes’ request includes amending a permit to include the killing or harming of up to twenty captive-born white-collared mangabeys per year. In return, a mangabey study project run by Ohio State University researcher Scott McGraw in the Tai Forest, Ivory Coast would receive funds of $30,000 per year. Conservation International (CI), a large U.S. nonprofit, sent a letter of behalf of Yerkes’ application. CI has more than $192 million in assets and Nienaber questions why CI does not fund the Ivory Coast study from its own treasury without sacrificing the mangabeys.

Something can be done about Yerkes’ application PRT-830768, according to Shirley McGreal, who runs the IPPL and was a friend of Dian Fossey. McGreal suggests sending letters opposing the Yerkes’ plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Management Authority. The address is:

4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 700

Arlington, VA 22203, USA

About Georgianne Nienaber:

Georgianne Nienaber is an investigative journalist and political activist based in rural northern Minnesota. With more than 30 years of experience, Nienaber’s work has appeared across the world, including her column for the Rwandan “New Times.” Her work has been highlighted in The United Nations Publication, “A Civil Society Observer,” AllAfrica.com and Zimbabwe’s “The Daily Mirror.” She is also author of the fiction expose, “Horse Sense,” which examines insurance fraud in the horse industry.

Contact:

Patricia F. Klier

PR/PR Public Relations

800-786-1764

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