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Florida Monkey Breeder Illegally Cut Fetuses out of Pregnant Monkeys and Sold Organs, Says Whistleblower

March 31, 2015 by — Leave a Comment


The News

In a shocking new development in the MonkeyGate scandal in Hendry County, Florida, a former employee of Primate Products told WinkNews in an exclusive interview that vet technicians cut fetuses out of pregnant monkeys and sold the organs. His allegations dovetail with documents obtained by the TV station.

Macaque monkeys (photo: BUAV)

Macaque monkeys (photo: BUAV)

David Roebuck, who was a vet tech with Primate Products, said that he resigned from the company in disgust when he was asked to vacuum pack and freeze the livers, lungs, kidneys and brains of the aborted monkeys. Mr. Roebuck also said he was shocked to discover that the invasive surgeries were being performed by vet techs, not veterinarians.

David Roebuck resigned from Primate Products when he learned that fetuses were being cut out of pregnant monkies

David Roebuck resigned from Primate Products when he learned that fetuses were being cut out of pregnant monkies

Mr. Roebuck also said that vet techs killed the fetuses to prevent them from being born alive. Nursing infants, he explained, would reduce the supply of monkey milk that Primate Products has available to sell. On its website, Primate Products advertises “serum, plasma, and tissue samples from cynomolgus macaques and rhesus macaques.”

Primate Products is located on land zoned for “agricultural” use. Residents assert that conducting any procedure, much less invasive and lethal surgeries, constitutes a clear violation.

County officials have not yet announced what course of action they will take against Primate Products, but residents are demanding that the County halt the construction of several new buildings which would reportedly house between 5,000 – 14,000 additional monkeys. Hendry County residents only learned about this massive expansion when the organization Drones for Animal Defense released aerial footage. Residents are now conferring with lawyers to determine whether to seek an injunction or pursue other legal avenues to curb the expansion.

Drone footage of Monkey Breeding Facility under construction in Hendry County, FL

Drone footage of Monkey Breeding Facility under construction in Hendry County, FL

In November, 2014, three residents filed a lawsuit against Hendry County to halt construction of a different monkey breeding facility that county officials approved without holding a public hearing, which is required by Florida’s Sunshine Law. PreLabs, the Illinois-based company building the 43 acre Primera Science Center, is reportedly seeking to import 3,200 macaque monkeys from Mauritius, an island off the coast of Africa.
Primera Science Center is one of two monkey breeding facilities approved behind closed doors by Hendry County officials

Primera Science Center is one of two monkey breeding facilities approved behind closed doors by Hendry County officials

Hendry residents are enraged about the secrecy of county officials, who they say have consistently represented the interests of the monkey breeders over the public. Primate Products has made “large contributions” to the county — incentives residents believe are substantial enough for county officials to approve monkey facilities behind closed doors and turn a blind eye to the illegal activities being conducted inside.
Resident of Hendry County are now attending public meetings to air their opposition to the new monkey breeding facilities

Resident of Hendry County attend public meetings to air their opposition to the new monkey breeding facilities

Your Turn

1. Ask Hendry County’s five commissioners to stop the construction of the Primate Product expansion: bocc1@hendryfla.net, bocc2@hendryfla.net, bocc3@hendryfla.net, bocc4@hendryfla.net, bocc5@hendryfla.net

2. Tweet #MonkeyGate with this article and your thoughts on importing more monkeys into Florida to be bred for lab experiments.


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