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New MonkeyGate Revelations: Breeding Facility Has Conducted Hundreds of Illegal Experiments

March 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment


The News

After TheirTurn broke the news that officials in Hendry County secretly approved a second new monkey breeding facility, several media outlets in Central Florida conducted their own investigations to confirm the report. What one TV station uncovered is sending shockwaves through the state of Florida.

According to USDA documents discovered by Wink News, Primate Products, a different monkey breeding facility in Hendry County, has conducted hundreds of experiments on monkeys — illegally. In a press conference on Tuesday, the County Administrator said that he had no knowledge of the experiments and that conducting them on land zoned for “agriculture” violates the law. As it is, area residents are arguing in an ongoing lawsuit against the County that breeding monkeys for lab experiments does not constitute “agriculture.”

The nature of the experiments is not revealed in the USDA documents, but Primate Products manufactures several products used in monkey testing, including restraint devices.

monkey restrainer for lab experiments

According to Primate Products, the restrainer provides “trouble-free accessibility”

The disturbing revelations about the existing monkey breeding facility, Primate Products, come just two days after Drones for Animal Defense released aerial footage of the new one under construction — adding to a growing scandal that is being dubbed by the local press as “MonkeyGate.”

The drone footage, taken by an activist who was chased for miles by company employees, not only confirms the existence of Bioculture’s new monkey breeding center, but it also shows its massive scale. An investigative reporter who has researched the BioCulture facility – Amir Shuan with Israel’s largest newspaper Yedioth Ahronot, has said that it has the capacity to house 14,000 monkeys, which is more than three times the number of primates already held captive in Hendry County.

Drone footage of Bioculture's Monkey Breeding Facility in Hendry County, FL

Drone footage of Bioculture’s partially-constructed monkey breeding facility in Hendry County, FL

On Monday, the same day that activists released the incriminating drone footage of the enormous facility under construction, county officials issued a press release denying that it’s new — stating that it is merely an expansion of Primate Products. During Tuesday’s press conference, however, Jane Velez-Mitchell of Jane UnChained challenged the county’s claim by pointing out that everything about Bioculture’s facility is new — the company, the buildings and the thousands of macaque monkeys that Bioculture hopes to import from overseas.

Today, the local Fire and Rescue District Commissioner, Matt Smith, gave area residents another reason to worry. In an interview with NewsPress, he said that first responders have not been briefed about how to handle emergencies at the facilities, echoing concerns raised by Velez-Mitchell at the earlier press conference: “In the event of a hurricane and the escape of hundreds or thousands of monkeys, what’s going to happen? Where’s the liability? Who’s ultimately responsible if these monkeys escape and bite people?”

Hundreds of non-native wild macaque monkeys with herpes B virus live in Florida (photo: Graham McGeorge/ Barcroft Media)

Hundreds of non-native wild macaque monkeys with herpes B virus live in Florida (photo: Graham McGeorge/ Barcroft Media)

Florida state senator Dwight Bullard added to the chorus of residents criticizing the secrecy of Hendry County officials, saying the “solution is transparency from the individuals and organizations who are seeking to have a positive relationship with the community.”

Florida state senator Dwight Bullard hits the airwaves to ask Hendry County to pause construction of Bioculture's monkey breeding facility

Florida state senator Dwight Bullard hits the airwaves in 2014 to ask Hendry County to pause construction of Bioculture’s monkey breeding facility

Amidst the revelations of illegal experiments, a lack of emergency preparedness, and secrecy surrounding two new monkey breeding facilities, Hendry County residents appear to be waging a war with their public officials until the County hits the pause button on the Bioculture’s new monkey breeding facility. 

Your Turn

Please sign petition asking Hendry County officials to  halt construction of new monkey breeding facility.



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TheirTurn.net Comments

  1. Michelle Wood says:

    Shameful, not acceptable.

  2. Bigdog says:

    Bioculture was uprooted in Puerto Rico a few years ago when they built an illegal facility. They were also kicked out of Israel when the Mazor Breeding Farm was shuttered by the government. But they can sneak under the radar in Florida, because the state wants the business regardless of the sleazy nature of the company and the violations in Israel and Puerto Rico.

  3. Marilyn Sowa says:

    Need an e-petition to go viral ASAP!

  4. Marilyn Sowa says:

    Shut this hell-hole down!! Prosecute the owners and fine and jail these inhumane evil monsters!

  5. Phyllis says:

    This is torture and it must be stopped NOW!!!!

  6. Natasha Brenner says:

    How can these monsters live with themselves? Do they go home to their families and pretend they are human beings? Hug and kiss their children? They should be drawn and quartered! And I would watch and cheer!

  7. claudette says:

    when i see this photo it kills my heart ,imagine that being your child.HOW THE HELL CAN THESE PEOPLE LIVE WITH THEMSELVES

  8. Dee Sullivan says:

    This is Horribly Horrific ! Let’s hook the so called “HUMANS” up to the machine and experiment on them !

  9. eileen says:

    This is horrible!!!!!

  10. Karen says:

    I love that Their Turn has uncovered this! Wow! The activist who risked his life for the drone footage should be highly commended.

Comments are closed.