Wildlife Management on ‘misleading’ monkeys’ deaths… Accused Guyanese exporter must be given benefit of doubt

Mar 28, 2012 News

The Wildlife Management Division (WMD) has responded to what it says is a misleading article on the deaths of several monkeys that were shipped overseas from Guyana.
The article concerns the trial of Florida animal broker Robert Matson Conyers and a Guyanese wildlife exporter, Akhtar Hussain, who are charged in connection with the deaths of the primates. The find was unearthed at the Los Angeles airport on Air China

The monkeys died of neglect, starvation and hypothermia (Reuters photo)

According to the WMD statement, released to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, the article made several erroneous statements, including the suggestion that the export of monkeys from Guyana is illegal.
WMD said that the article, published in a US paper and carried in the local media, “is very cleverly crafted in that many details were omitted and the actual information included seems designed to mislead and to cast a very negative light on the wildlife trade.
“The article states, ‘the trial is expected to shine a light into the secretive world of lab animal imports from around the world to the US’. This is confusing since the shipment was actually destined for Thailand and the US was used as a transit point. Further the article does not clearly make the distinction between the legal and illegal trade when citing information provided by SAEN (the animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now).
The WMD statement noted that Guyana is listed as a source country of monkeys immediately following the sentence that notes that the unregulated and illegal trade of monkeys to the US is on the increase.
“This seems to suggest that export of monkeys from Guyana is illegal. Guyana has established quotas for four species of primates and small numbers of these species are exported to the US each year.”
“On Friday, September 9, 2011, two newspapers published articles regarding charges of animal cruelty being laid against wildlife exporter, Mr. Akhtar Hussain. In July, 2011, the Head of the Wildlife Division was contacted by an officer from the Guyana Police Force seeking assistance in a matter regarding Mr. Akhtar Hussain. She was told that there was an investigation into a shipment of primates that had been exported by Mr. Hussain.”
According to the Wildlife Management Division, the police were informed that the shipment took place in 2009 and was destined for Thailand and was routed through the US and China. The police were also informed that the shipment was returned to the US from China because the permit was found to be invalid.
“The Division was unable to obtain further information regarding the permit number, date of shipment, species and quantities actually exported from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Wildlife Division’s 2009 export record revealed that no primates were exported by Mr. Hussain.”
“The newspaper articles reported that the shipment took place in February, 2008. This means that the primates were exported from the 2007 quota. The Wildlife Division’s records show that primates were exported by Mr. Hussain from the 2007 quota. The articles also stated that the shipment was sent to Miami, routed to Los Angeles and then on to China. Given the scrutiny that wildlife shipments are subjected to by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the shipment, permits and other paperwork would have had to be in order for the shipment to be sent onward to China. Had this not been the case, the shipment would have either been confiscated or immediately returned to Guyana,” WMD added.
“Mr. Akhtar Hussain was contacted on September 9, 2011. He confirmed that the shipment took place early in 2008. He said that the shipment was stranded in Taipei because of adverse weather and then was sent back to the US. The reason for the shipment being returned to the US was unclear. When the shipment was returned to the US, it was found that some of the primates had died.
“On September 9, 2011, another attempt was made to obtain information from US Fish and Wildlife Service. However, USFWS merely forwarded a copy of the press release containing the same information provided by the two newspaper articles.
“While the articles by sections of the media are bad publicity, under the circumstances it would appear as though Mr. Hussain had little control over the matter. Unless further information is provided to prove otherwise, Mr. Hussain must be given the benefit of the doubt,” WMD said in concluding its statement.
The article, published in The Examiner, stated that in September 2011, Florida animal broker Robert Matson Conyers was charged with ten counts of animal cruelty after 15 primates, shipped from Guyana, died in transit and were discovered at the Los Angeles airport on Air China. The article stated that the primates were forced to endure a circuitous trip from Guyana to Miami, and on to Los Angeles, back to China and then back to Los Angeles.
According to the article, “when authorities opened the wooden shipping containers at the airport, they found 15 of the 25 monkeys Conyers was transporting had died egregious deaths. The monkeys had no food or water and the surviving primates had eaten their dead imprisoned crate mates to survive. Of the 25 monkeys shipped, only nine ultimately survived. They now live at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.”
The article quoted officials from the group Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN) as saying that from January 1st, 2010 to November 16th, 2011 there were 20,895 monkeys imported through Los Angeles destined to wind up in laboratories and using Los Angeles as their port of entry. Since September, when the plight of these monkeys was exposed, monkey imports via Los Angeles have completely stopped.
“Since breeding monkeys is too expensive in the United States, the unregulated and illegal trade of importing monkeys into the United States has continued to increase. The United States is the largest importer of monkeys from the Philippines, Indonesia, Guyana and Kenya,” the article added.
The Examiner said that in September, Conyers, 44, and Akhtar Hussain, a Guyana supplier, were charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty.
Conyers appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court while Hussain “remains at large and was thought to be in Guyana. Each man faces up to six months in jail and a $20,000 fine if convicted.”
According to the article, “Hussain sold around two dozen primates to a buyer in Bangkok in February of 2008 and hired Conyers to deliver them.
It added that “Conyers attempted to ship 14 Marmosets, five white-fronted Capuchins and six Squirrel Monkeys from Guyana to Bangkok through Miami, Los Angeles and then China, but the animals were refused transit in China because of an irregularity with shipping documents.”