The cruel exploitation of Barbary macaques in Morocco dressed in children's clothes and begging is heartbreaking: Please take action !!

 

Poor little monkey locked up in this small wooden  cage begging to get out.

Disturbing photo's of Barbary macaques dressed in children's clothes, chained by the neck and dragged around by street handlers touting for photos and selfies to 'entertain' tourists, has been shared with Action for Primates by East Lothian Uncaged who recently filmed the monkeys at the Jemaa el-Fnaa square market in Marrakesh, Morocco. 

Making the monkey smile for a photo. The poor abused animal is also wearing nail polish.

Other heartbreaking images show imprisoned macaques reaching out from within dark wooden crates in which they are held and transported. Exposure to crowds of people and loud noises and the chaos of the busy streets would be extremely frightening and distressful for the macaques. The cruel and selfish exploitation of these macaques is morally reprehensible.

The Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) is native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco, with a small population in Gibraltar. The species is classified as Endangered with a decreasing population trend, on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and listed in CITES Appendix I (threatened with extinction). Major threats to the survival of wild populations of Barbary macaques include habitat loss and their capture and trade. Captured in the wild within Morocco, these macaques are sold as 'pets' and to supply the cruel photo prop trade for tourists, in particular in open air markets, such as Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakesh.

Macaque being kicked by handler
Nelly Moulin

Earlier video footage previously shared with Action for Primates by Nelly Moulin also revealed the shocking way in which the macaques are treated by street handlers in Morocco. At the Jemaa el-Fnaa square market, street handlers were filmed dragging and physically abusing struggling and cowering young Barbary macaques.

The exploitation and physical and psychological cost to these wild animals for 'entertainment' is unacceptable.

Please speak up for the Barbary macaques:

1. Write to the following:
• Morocco tourist information centre, choosing the relevant country: https://www.visitmorocco.com/en/contact
• Morocco embassy in your country: https://www.embassy-worldwide.com/country/morocco/
• Urge the above to protect Barbary macaques by
• enforcing the legislation that prevents their capture and 'possession';
• taking action against the illegal trade; and
• confiscating those macaques who are being exploited and abused as photo props by street handlers and re-homing them to genuine sanctuaries for rehabilitation and eventual release to a free-living state
• 
  Avoid tourist attractions that involve captive wildlife and always submit complaints to tourist and embassy outlets in individual countries as well as to travel and holiday companies.

The bond between nomadic herders and their animals is based on respect in Mongolia but times are changing: industrial slaughter with lack of knowledge regarding animal welfare causes suffering

 Director Lesley Moffat Eyes on Animals:

Dear donors, friends, and supporters, A few years ago, I spoke at an animal welfare conference in England. Afterwards, I struck up a conversation with Liz, an anthropologist at the University of Cambridge. She asked if we could help her improve animal welfare in Mongolia, where she was conducting research at the time. I didn't have to think about that for long. Where there's a will, there's a way. Changes in Mongolia Traditionally, the bond between nomadic herders and their animals is based on respect and reciprocity. But unfortunately, this is changing. More and more families are moving to the city, where children often stay after their studies. As a result, the demand for meat is growing from the cities. The consequence: animals are being transported over increasingly long distances. The animals' lives are often good: outdoors, in complete freedom, they can roam around. There are no fences or cages. The life of many animals in Mongolia: free to go wherever they want. The slaughterhouses, however, pose the problem. Many are old, with worn-out buildings, facilities, and equipment. But even newer slaughterhouses fall short. Knowledge regarding animal welfare, animal behavior, and correct stunning methods is often lacking. Our visit to slaughterhouses This month, the time had come. Eyes on Animals first gave a presentation at a conference in Ulaanbaatar and then went into the field. With great thanks to Liz and her colleague Enkhbat: they have strong contacts with the authorities and the Mongolian meat sector and made all this possible. Their goal: clear animal welfare standards for Mongolia. Eyes on Animals at the conference in Ulaanbaatar. Visitors to the conference. After the conference, we first visited a nomadic shepherd family and witnessed the traditional slaughter. What Roy and I saw there stood in stark contrast to the industrial slaughter we encounter so often in Europe. No shouting, no rushing, no chaos, no transport stress, and no rough handling. The animal was killed, admittedly, but it was done with calm, care, and respect. Roy and I watch the nomadic slaughter. The handling of the sheep is calm and attentive. We advised the use of captive bolt stunners so that unconsciousness is instantaneous. However, because handling is otherwise already so careful, our primary focus lies with industrial slaughterhouses — there is much more room for improvement there. The industrial slaughterhouses In Ulaanbaatar, we visited three commercial slaughterhouses where operations are conducted on a larger scale. Sheep and horses are now transported over longer distances to commercial slaughterhouses in the larger cities. One slaughterhouse dated back to 1946 and was built at the time with support from East Germany. It had barely been modernized. We saw broken fences, dangerous holes in the floor, and no protection against rain, cold, or heat. Moreover, there were no proper unloading facilities, meaning animals sometimes had to jump out of the truck from great heights or be pushed down. Roy checks the electrical installation and I walk through the cattle drive corridor — both date from 1946. Most concerning were the electrical devices used to 'stun' animals. Although the managers were convinced that the electrical devices rendered the animals unconscious, something else actually happened: the animals were immobilized. All muscles cramp, preventing the animal from moving but leaving it fully conscious. This causes severe pain and stress. The animals are subsequently defenseless when the slaughter process begins. Cheap 'sedators' that do not actually sedate the animals, but inflict a lot of pain. In newer slaughterhouses, too, we saw similar problems: painful immobilization instead of stunning, and animals being hoisted up alive by their legs. Poor stunning equipment: a broader problem . What we saw in Mongolia is not an isolated incident. Since our visit to the World Halal Summit in Istanbul, it has become even clearer to us: many slaughterhouses believe they are stunning animals, while the equipment used actually increases suffering. Meanwhile, these cheap devices are available online everywhere. This must stop. Action plan The challenge is significant. There are dozens of slaughterhouses in Mongolia, and our team is small. But every animal we can spare from a long period of suffering is one less animal to suffer.  Moreover, there is reason for optimism. The companies are open to change. There is a budget and a willingness to learn. During our visit, we explained how effective stunning works, which equipment is suitable, and where it is available. The first investment plans have already been drawn up. In early May, a follow-up online meeting will take place with us, Liz, Enkhbat, representatives from various Mongolian slaughterhouses, and manufacturers of suitable equipment. Later this year, Roy and I hope to return to provide practical on-site training. A new beginning in Mongolia. In the meantime, Liz, together with local partners, has established Mongolia's first official animal welfare organization to reduce the suffering of animals in slaughterhouses. Eyes on Animals will take a seat on the board. That is an important and hopeful step forward. Our visit also attracted the attention of the Mongolian media. An article about our work will soon appear in a trade journal widely read by nomadic herders and the meat industry. Roy and I in conversation with a Mongolian journalist, with Liz as interpreter. Concrete improvements with your support. Without your support, and without Roy's dedication, we would not have been able to do this work. In just nine days, we laid the foundation for improvements that will reduce the suffering of a huge number of animals. You enable us to be in the field — exactly where animals need us most — and to work on practical and concrete improvements. Your support makes a difference for countless individuals. Would you like to help us continue and expand this work in Mongolia? Then donate via the button below. Support our work in Mongolia Thank you very much!  Kind regards, Lesley Moffat Director, Eyes on Animals

They call it a tradition: 706 dolphins slaughtered in one day in the Faroe Islands with lances, long knives crushed against rocks and boat propellers

TÓRSHAVN, FAROE ISLANDS — More than 700 dolphins were killed in the Faroe Islands yesterday [Wednesday], more than two-thirds of the approximately 1,000 marine mammals killed across the entirety of last year. Two Sea Shepherd crew members were arrested in the course of the events for documenting the hunts.

Three dolphin hunts, known locally as the ‘grind’, took place across the islands which lie just 200 miles north of Scotland. The graphic scenes saw hundreds of dolphins driven towards the shoreline before being killed using lances and long knives.

706 dolphins were killed across the three hunts, with 406 in Tórshavn, the island’s capital, alone. The scale of the killings is without precedent, surpassing two-thirds of all marine mammals killed on the islands in the entire previous year.

The hunts descended into chaos as whalers admitted there was a shortage of spinal lances, which are mandatory for killing dolphins. Multiple marine mammals were instead killed using knives only leaving the animals stressed for an extended period before bleeding to death. In scenes of prolonged animal cruelty, reports also suggest the lack of equipment and shortage of participants led to dolphins being crushed against rocks, driven over and cut by boat propellers.

As the killings unfolded, two marine conservation crew members from global environmental NGO Sea Shepherd were arrested for documenting the hunts and now face potential deportation. Whalers reported them to the police, alleging they interfered with the hunts, but the group maintains that the crew members were simply documenting the events as they happened.

From the Field

Valentina Crast, Campaign Director for the Faroe Islands at Sea Shepherd, said:

“The events unfolding this week are not a cultural tradition on display. They are chaotic scenes of extreme animal cruelty, producing a death toll exceeding two thirds of last year’s entire annual figure.

“Dolphins were killed without the mandatory equipment. Animals were crushed against rocks and struck by boat propellers. And when a third, secret grind began, one deliberately hidden from public channels, marine conservationists were arrested for documenting it.

“Nobody can ever justify this level of intense suffering inflicted on innocent animals. We call on governments across Europe to stand up to see these hunts banned once and for all.”

More than 1600 live primates have been listed for sale in a 6 weeks period on social media networks in the US: 1,131 posted on Facebook

https://primatepet.com/our-blog/  

 More than 1,600 live primates have been openly listed for sale on U.S. social media networks, bypassing platform bans through disguised accounts, according to a new report.

The study, “Primates for Purchase: The Surge in Sales on Social Media in the U.S.,” was published Tuesday by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the World Wildlife Fund. It is the first U.S.-only report to analyze the sale of primates via social media.

Researchers monitored activity over a six-week period in mid-2025 and identified 1,614 live primates listed for sale across 1,131 posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The listings came from 122 social media users. Many of the advertisements were easily located through simple search terms such as “monkey rehoming” or “adoption,” despite platform policies prohibiting the sale of live wildlife.

According to the report, sellers routinely disguised commercial transactions as rescue or rehoming efforts, which allowed the listings to remain publicly visible while bypassing automated platform restrictions.

In response to the findings, TikTok and Google, the parent company of YouTube, stated that wildlife trafficking is strictly prohibited on their platforms.

TikTok does not allow “the promotion, sale, solicitation, or facilitation of access to live animals,” the company said in a statement to The Independent.

Google echoed those enforcement efforts, stating that its employees worked with WWF on a cyber spotting event in June 2025 and, as a result, removed 28 YouTube channels for violating its policies.

“The trade of endangered animals is a driver of biodiversity loss, zoonotic diseases, and funds other forms of illicit crime,” YouTube Policy Communications Manager Boot Bullwinkle said in a statement to The Independent. “We have strict content policies prohibiting the sale of endangered species, and are committed to removing content that violates our policies. We look forward to continuing to partner with WWF on future Cyber Spotter programs and other initiatives to combat this serious issue.”

The report documented 12 different types of primates for sale, including chimpanzees, spider monkeys, lemurs, bush babies, marmosets and capuchins. Macaques were the most prevalent, accounting for 839 individual listings, followed by marmosets at 293 and capuchins at 275. Prices for the animals ranged from $250 to $6,500, depending on the species, age and rarity.

Researchers found that a significant number of the advertised primates were infants or juveniles. According to the report, poachers frequently steal infant primates from their mothers in the wild to exploit a false belief among buyers that younger animals bond more easily with humans. Many of these animals suffer severe trauma or die during smuggling operations before ever reaching buyers, the report claims.

Roughly 60 percent of the world’s primate species are threatened with extinction, and approximately 75 percent have declining populations due to habitat loss, industrial agriculture, logging and hunting, according to Science Advances.

In 1840, 20,000 camels were introduced into Australia for transportation of goods: in 2026 more than 500.000 camels are classified as pests and are suffering cruelty and exploitation (video)

Australia wake up !! 500.000 camels drink a lot of water which is very scarce in Australia  10 million  sheep were also imported. 

I must add that not all the camel 'owners' are cruel

Dromedary camels are interesting and deeply misunderstood creatures. They are naturally found roaming through Africa and Asia. In the 1840s camels were introduced into Australia, and have since established a prominent wild herd. With the cruelty associated with elephant rides coming to light in recent years, camel rides are interestingly not receiving the same attention - yet, the intelligence of camels is similar to that of elephants. This article explores the use of camels in the Australian tourism industry and the welfare issues it presents to the animals.

About Camels

Sadly, there has been minimal research into camels, their personalities and intelligence, leading to a disconnect in how we perceive them. Robyn Davidson, who spent months travelling the Australian dessert with four camels in the 1970s, has shared her insights into these wonderful creatures in her book, Tracks.

They are intelligent and emotional animals

Camels are often presented as grumpy and temperamental creatures, when in reality, they are just misunderstood. Camels are smart and have shown to have the intellect and emotional intelligence of an eight year old child [1, 2]. Both Bactrian and Dromedary camels have an encephalization quotient (EQ) value of 1.3, which is a similar level to the intelligence of the African elephant, and greater than that of the horse [3].

Robyn describes camels as “affectionate, cheeky, playful, witty, self-possessed, patient, hard-working and endlessly interesting and charming.” She noted that they also have “delicate” hearts and are highly sensitive [2].

Camels travel great distances

In the wild, camels like to stay together in herds, led by a dominate male. The remaining males form “bachelor herds”. Being nomadic animals, they spread themselves over hundreds of kilometres and can travel up to 160 km in a day. They enjoy exploring their environment and socializing with other individuals [4]. Studies have found that while they roam and feed during the day, wild dromedaries rest during the hottest hours - around noon [5].

Camels can live long lives

Camels can live for 40-50 years [6]!

---

The Industry

Camels are used as a tourist attraction in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, China, Kenya, Dubai, Tanzania, and Australia. In all of these countries, there are little to no animal welfare laws or standards.

Camels in Australia

Approximately 20,000 camels were introduced to Australia between 1840 and 1907, for riding, the transportation of goods, and as draught animals (used to draw load like a plough) in the early development of arid areas. As they naturally live in arid environments and require less water, they were seen as a more suitable option than horses. When they were no longer needed, due to the increase in motor transport, people set them free. Since then, they have established a stable wild population [7 PDF]. Soon after, they were classified as a feral ‘pest’ species.

The estimated number of camels in Australia today ranges drastically from 300,000 [8] to over 1 million [7 PDF]. While few efforts have been taken to establish a more accurate count, the latter figure has driven the push for mass culls. Others saw this as an opportunity to exploit the camels, trapping and sending them to slaughter, using them in dairies for camel milk, or for rides and even racing.

Interestingly, camels are classified as a ‘pest’ due to the so-called damage they do to the environment. The impact of the estimated 1 million grazing camels, however, would be significantly less than that of the 25 million cattle and 63.7 million sheep in Australia. These farmed animals were not only introduced, but are continuously being bred, relying on cleared agricultural land and large amounts of water and resources. To learn more about these industries, read our articles on Cattle Farming and Sheep Farming.

All ferals show resilience, intelligence, self-organization, and a capacity to evade human captivity—all of the things that contradict a belief that livestock exist only to serve us, obey us. Going feral, they remind us that animals are neither machines, nor docile objects, but thinking, escaping, beings, and as such they help us to define the injustice of farming a little better. Perhaps this is why they are so hated; they are an uncomfortable reminder that animals are not “happy meat.”

Fiona Probyn-Rapsey [9 PDF]

My efforts to find a Australian Animal Welfare organisation to combine efforts with a