Animal rights activists representing PETA are set to make waves at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) during one of the year’s busiest travel weekends.
Supporters of the group PETA will gather outside Ethiopian Airlines’ departure terminal in a concerted protest action. It targets the carrier’s involvement in transporting endangered long-tailed macaques from Mauritius and Southeast Asia to U.S. laboratories for experimentation.
PETA alleges that the airline appears to have ties to an alleged illegal international monkey-smuggling ring. It has transported thousands of monkeys to U.S. laboratories even though it previously told PETA that it had a policy against the practice.
Protest Action Washington Dulles
The demonstration also aims to highlight the serious health risks posed by importing monkeys into the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), imported primates have carried deadly diseases and pathogens in the past three years. These include tuberculosis and Burkholderia pseudomallei, a bacterium so hazardous it’s classified as a potential bioterrorism agent.
Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA’s primate scientist, expressed grave concerns: “Ethiopian Airlines has shown zero regard for monkeys and humans. It’s flying monkeys to certain death in laboratories and playing Russian roulette with diseases that could sicken and kill Americans.”
The protest is scheduled for Friday, August 30, at 8 a.m. in Departures Zone 1 of Washington Dulles International Airport. Activists hope to draw attention to Ethiopian Airlines’ practices. They will seek to pressure the carrier to cease its involvement in the animal research trade.
Previous US Violations
Ethiopian Airlines’ role in this controversial transport has come under scrutiny following recent legal proceedings.
Evidence was presented during the federal trial of accused Cambodian monkey smuggler Masphal Kry. It suggested the airline’s involvement in transporting hundreds of monkeys allegedly taken illegally from their forest homes.
Further compounding the issue, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited Ethiopian Airlines last year for multiple violations of animal protection laws.
One particularly alarming incident involved 336 monkeys crammed inside wooden crates and flown nearly 10,000 miles from Mauritius. Upon arrival, these primates were left on the tarmac of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for at least 95 minutes in 85-degree heat, without proper feeding and watering instructions.
In another violation, the airline reportedly imported 584 monkeys into the U.S. without the mandatory health certificates required by federal regulations.
PETA claims that Ethiopian Airlines has transported thousands of monkeys to U.S. laboratories, despite previously informing the organization that it had a policy against such practices.
The animal rights group alleges that the airline’s actions not only endanger the well-being of the transported primates but also pose potential health risks to the American public.
As travelers hustle through Dulles Airport this busy weekend, they’ll encounter PETA’s plea for Ethiopian Airlines to reconsider its role in the primate transport industry. This highlights the intersection of animal welfare, public health, and corporate responsibility.
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