Environmental groups have raised their voices in recent days in protest at the Sri Lankan government’s intention to send 100,000 monkeys to China.

It is the toque macaque, native to that country, that has affected the crops. This would be the main reason for the transfer action to a Chinese company that would exhibit them to zoos.

Agriculture Minister Gunadasa Samarasinghe explained that the company made the request and justified the action as these endangered monkeys are the crops and not the monkeys found in forest areas.

It is not yet clear whether any purchase of these animals has been made, what was confirmed was that the Chinese government is not involved in the transaction.

Sri Lanka is facing a major economic crisis after being bailed out by the International Monetary Fund for debt default. This would be due to errors in fiscal policy and China’s debt burden.

The toque monkey or macaca sinica is an endemic species of that country and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as endangered.

Through a statement, the environmental groups pointed out that these animals are popular for medical testing conducted in the United States and Europe and that “the potential revenue from such a trade would far exceed that from selling this species to zoos.” “.