PETA AU Global Issue 3 2020

This Monkey Did Pick the Coconuts inYour Coconut Milk? W ide-eyed and grimacing in fear, a young monkey named Kulap freezes as the man towering

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Coconut milk: © iStock.com/fcafotodigital

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a single moment of freedom. If they try to defend themselves, their canine teeth may be extracted. “If they’re fangless,” one coconut farmer said, “we can use them until they die.” Help PETA Stop This Monkey Business Global coconut-product brands Aroy-D and Chaokoh are linked to this cruel industry. After PETA and PETA UK informed retailers that Thailand’s coconut industry abuses monkeys, many agreed to stop selling those two brands or pledged not to sell any products from suppliers that use monkey labor. These compassionate companies include Cost Plus World Market, Morrisons, Ocado, Waitrose, Co-op, Walgreens Boots Alliance (operator of Boots), and Ahold Delhaize and its brands, including Giant Food, Food Lion, Stop & Shop, and Hannaford in the US as well as Albert Heijn in the Netherlands. PETA UK is urging major retailers Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury’s to follow suit.

over him fastens a metal chain around his neck. Two others huddle in cages in the back of a pickup truck as they are pelted with rain. Another shakes his cage in a desperate attempt to get free, but it’s no use. These are just a few of the thousands of monkeys used as slaves in Thailand’s coconut industry, as revealed by a new PETA Asia investigation. If you buy coconut milk or other products containing coconuts from Thailand, you could unwittingly be paying to keep monkeys like Kulap in chains – for life. Baby Monkeys in Chains In nature, pigtail macaques – the species most often exploited by the coconut industry – enjoy socializing, playing, grooming one another, and nurturing their babies. But coconut producers illegally abduct these curious and highly intelligent animals when they’re still very young, shattering their families and troupes. Monkeys in this industry are kept chained or tethered, surrounded by nothing but dirt and trash. Footage from PETA Asia’s investigation shows them going in circles and pacing back and forth, slowly losing their minds. Life Imprisonment Their training is grueling. The terrified youngsters are forced to climb up the coconut trees and twist off the heavy coconuts as quickly as possible – or face punishment. To earn more money, some trainers also force the monkeys to perform in circus-style shows, riding bicycles, shooting basketballs, and doing other demeaning tricks. After training, their lives consist of climbing up and down trees, picking up to 1,000 coconuts a day. When the workday is over, they remain chained, denied even

Take Action Now Please visit PETA.org/Coconuts to urge Aroy-D and Chaokoh to obtain coconuts only

from companies that don’t exploit monkeys, and watch and share the investigative video. Before purchasing any product containing coconuts, check the label or the brand’s website. If the coconut comes from Thailand, leave it on the shelf – and tell the manufacturer why you won’t buy items containing coconut likely picked by monkey slaves.

If you buy coconut milk or other products containing coconuts from Thailand, you could unwittingly be paying to keep monkeys like Kulap in chains – for life.

Monkey Slavery Is Nuts Brazil, Colombia, Hawaii, and other regions use humane coconut-harvesting methods, such as tractor-mounted hydraulic elevators, willing human climbers, rope or platform systems, or ladders. Dwarf coconut trees in Thailand and around the world, grown primarily for high-end coconut water by companies like Harmless Harvest, don’t require the use of monkeys. The trees are short enough that the coconuts can be picked by humans.

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22 BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE