Staff Reports
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Thursday called on Florida facilities that provide monkeys for animal research labs to prevent escapes as Hurricane Matthew approaches.
PETA focused its concern on monkey farms in Hendry County, in the middle of the state south of Lake Okeechobee.
“Thousands of monkeys are warehoused at these laboratories, and PETA’s investigation … revealed decrepit enclosures,” said Senior Vice President of Laboratory Investigations Kathy Guillermo in a statement.
The Fort Myers News-Press reported two monkeys escaped one facility, The Mannheimer Foundation’s Haman Ranch in LaBelle, “and ran loose for two hours before they were caught” last September.
In 1992, 1,500 monkeys and baboons escaped from the same facility during Hurricane Andrew, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
A call to the foundation went unanswered Thursday.
“These facilities should be closed entirely, but right now, officials should take steps to ensure that both humans and monkeys are safe,” Guillermo said.
