The Court of Appeal today (19 May) decided that the petition filed by environmental organisations against the exportation of 100,000 Toque Macaque monkeys to China will be heard on 26 May.
This was decided when the relevant petition was summoned before an Appellate Court bench comprising of the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice A. Marikkar this morning.
The hearing of the petition was fixed for 26 May upon consideration of the facts presented to the court by the State Counsel who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General.
The petition was filed by a total of 27 parties, including the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, Otara Gunawardena, Ven. Ananda Sagara Thero and Rukshan Jayawardena, claiming that reports have revealed that the monkeys are being exported to China for lab-testing purposes.
Thus, citing that such a move would constitute an act of animal cruelty while also defying the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, the petitioners sought an order preventing the exportation of the monkeys, while also seeking an order against the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, preventing him from issuing licenses for such exports.
