UPDATE: Since this item was first posted, KARA has had some success in getting improvements done. The local government that KARA protested to inspected the Monkey School and decided to send KARA's documents and recommendations to the facility. Since then the management at Monkey School have been improving conditions for the animals.

It's a good result for KARA. Thanks to everyone involved and thanks to Carly Nugent for first bringing this to our attention.

The following is a translation of a protest document and supporting evidence sent to officials concerning the Monkey School animal zoo.

* * *

This letter concerns the Monkey School located in Bu An-Gu, Sang Seo-Myun. We have compiled reports and documents related to the problems at the Monkey School for your review. After you have read and examined the contents of these documents, we would like to hear about your solutions on how you intend to bring about appropriate changes to resolve this serious matter.

List of Problems at Bu An Monkey School

1. In March 2009, KARA was notified by Carly Nugent (who writes for Groove Korea) about the terrible conditions at the Monkey School in Bu An. On her visit there, she saw how inadequate and awful the conditions were for the animals, including monkeys, crocodiles and alligators. After being notified, KARA set out to investigate and took photographic evidence. (See Attachment 1, KARA's photos as well as photos taken by Carly Nugent.)

Attachment 1:

* Many kinds of monkeys live in small cages with bare cement floors. The area smells bad (not ventilated). Some of the cages have one rope, one wood stick, or artificial flowers or grass. Some of them even have nothing to entertain the monkeys. Squirrel monkeys hang on wire net having no perch or three dimensional place for playing.

* A donkey lives alone with a large wood food container (empty) and non-fresh water.

* Rabbits are left outside all year round and their food was filthy.

* Hamster living areas were filthy and there was a dead hamster near their food.

2. According to international standards, animals in zoos must be treated humanely and be provided with an environment that is as close as possible to their natural environment. This is so the animals can fulfil their natural instincts and socialize with other animals like themselves. And in order to prevent contagious diseases, animals should be provided with spacious accommodations and various activities and games. (See Attachment 2, comparative photos between the Monkey School and the improvements currently being made at Seoul Grand Park.)

Attachement 2:

Monkey School	Seoul Grand Park

3. With regard to all other animals at the Monkey School and especially to the highly intelligent and sociable monkeys, the housing falls far below international standards. (See Attachment 3, IPS International Guidelines for the Acquisition, Care and Breeding of Nonhuman Primates.)

4. KARA's investigation of the Monkey School showed that one of the caged monkeys had chains around its neck, which constitutes inappropriate treatment.

5. The cages where the animals are kept are unsanitary and very dirty (See Attachment 4, images of the dirty and inadequate environment of the Monkey School Zoo.)

Attachment 4:

6. The monkeys cannot adequately cope with the extreme weather conditions of summer or winter. Korea's climate is nothing like their natural habitats. They get not heating in winter nor any cooling in summer.

7. There are no veterinarians to give individual attention and care to the monkeys and other animals at the Monkey School. Furthermore, there are no educational guidelines nor training qualifications required for caring for the animals. In one case, KARA's investigators witnessed a Monkey School employee shooting a power hose of water at the alligator to force it to move.

8. Keeping different species of animals together in one area could result in the outbreak of diseases spreading from one species to the other.

Comments & Recommendations

The act of capturing monkeys from their natural environment and then forcing them to act in circuses against their natural behavior causes them immense suffering and must be prohibited.

The parents and teachers of children should not bring them to this kind of establishment. Children need to learn to value and respect natural life. They are not educated about his through what they see at the Monkey School, which is a kind of a amusement sideshow, not the real world of animals. If people insist on keeping animals, they must be able to provide an adequate environment for them. However, the Monkey School shows animals in an unhappy and unnatural environment. So, children are not educated about the correct way to look after animals, either. Parents and teachers need to be more responsible in educating their children correctly about animals and a respect for life. It would be better to teach children that animals do not exist just for human entertainment.

The Monkey School in Bu An is run as part of a cultural tour operation and as a place for ecological education. Monkeys have been in existence on this planet much longer than the human species. What can people learn about monkeys when they see monkeys forced to perform acts that mimic humans? When the monkey performances are put on they are for amusement not education. Nothing educational about ecology is conveyed with the monkey shows. Therefore Bu An district should refrain from putting on monkey shows under the name of "Cultural Tours."

In April, Bu An decided to hold a HumPyong Butterfly festival and a Bu An Monkey School performance has been scheduled as a part of that (See Attachment file 5, Daily An Reporter). According to the Cultural Tour director at Bu An District Hall, they are now making preparations to conduct a Monkey School tour package in the second half of 2009.

Attachement 5:

If the Bu An district wants to educate the public about nature and ecology under the name of "Cultural Tours," using the Monkey School registered as a Nature Museum, they must make a sincere commitment to ensure the Monkey School educates the public by showing the animals within their natural environiments.

Conclusion

If the Bu An district obstinately persists in continuing the Monkey School's shows despite the aforementioned problems, we insist that the following policies be put in place. First and foremost, a system to monitor the health and welfare of the monkeys must be implemented as a priority, a natural environment for the monkeys to live in must be built which has adequate living space, staff must receive proper training, and the international guidelines for primate care must be met. (See Attachment 6, Dr. Susan Lappan, a scholar and authority on primates, provides recommendations for the Monkey School; plus see Attachment 3, IPS International Guidelines for the Acquisition, Care and Breeding of Nonhuman Primates)

Attachement 6:

Dr. Susan Lappan’s recommendations for captive housing of macaques:

1. Provide enrichment activities on a regular (preferably daily) basis. Enrichment can include introduction of new “toys,” objects, or activities, or foods that are challenging to process or are presented in a way that requires the animals to spend some time accessing the food.

2. Add three-dimensional structures to the enclosures to permit animals to climb and use their habitats in more complex and naturalistic ways. Animals should not be spending their whole day on the floor.

3. Maximize the opportunities for formation of social relationships between individuals. Ideally, the animals should be housed in stable social groups. Groups can be single-sex (i.e., all males or all females), or can include both sexes, but the latter situation may result in increased aggression. If the animals cannot be housed together, they should be kept nearby so they can see and hear each other. As the animals will form social relationships, and may be stressed in the presence of “strangers”, it is best to try to avoid changing the social environment unnecessarily. Formation of groups should be done gradually and carefully, and the animals must be monitored to prevent injuries due to aggression.

4. The enclosures in the photographs are near the lower end of the acceptable range of sizes. Larger spaces would be better if possible, especially if the larger spaces provided a more complex and interesting three-dimensional structure.

5. What is on the floor? Some kind of soft substrate like straw or other disposable bedding material is likely to make the animals more comfortable.

6. Having other animals (especially rodents, but also including poultry) running around outside of the cages may compromise hygiene and create opportunities for disease transmission.

Susan Michelle Lappan
March 30, 2009

Under the current situation, the Monkey School tour operation is exploiting animals in the pursuit of only making profits. Despite the high status of the Korean economy in the world, Bu An District is bringing to light again the infamous and comparatively low status of Animal Welfare Laws in Korea through its ill-advised Monkey School Tour. This unfortunate move will become known throughout the world and will reflect badly on Korea.