Monkeys in Thailand Forced to Pick Coconuts

Monkeys are being used by farmers to harvest hundreds of coconuts a day in what has been described as cruel conditions in Thailand to meet the growing demand for milk alternatives. 

According to The Sun, the monkeys are subjected to extensive labor, spending long hours picking fruit or being chained to the ground. Farmers use ropes tied around the animals to control them during their shifts in the treetops, the report noted. 

This comes despite a three-year campaign by PETA. 

Some farms in Thailand continue to exploit monkeys for labor, The Sun reported, noting that the animals are either bred in captivity or taken away from their mothers in the wild at a young age. 

"Monkeys in training are kept chained with rigid metal collars around their necks," PETA stated in a campaign to help end the use of monkeys in harvesting coconuts in Thailand. "Handlers use intimidation and abuse to teach them to obey. Investigative footage shows one trainer striking a monkey, dangling him by the neck, and then whipping him with the tether."

Trained monkeys are sold to coconut pickers, but they face dangers like ant bites, hornet stings, which can be fatal, and broken bones from falls or forceful treatment, PETA added. 

One supplier during an investigation was found keeping monkeys chained in flooded or dirty areas, exposing them to harsh weather conditions. 

According to a worker speaking with PETA, these monkeys were forced to pick coconuts for more than a decade before being permanently chained for the rest of their lives.

PETA has raised concerns about the production of coconut-based products, such as milk, oil, and flour, in Thailand. They warn that some of these products may be sourced, at least in part, through the use of "slave monkeys" as free labor. 

In response, PETA has called for a boycott of all coconut products made in Thailand.

In a statement, the animal rights organization noted that "the Thai government and companies that make coconut products have claimed that monkeys are no longer used in the making of exported products." 

However, previous investigations have confirmed that "rampant abuse of primates is still going unchecked – and that Thai coconut industry insiders are deliberately hiding monkey labor in their supply chain."

In response to mounting pressure, the meal kit provider HelloFresh said earlier this year it will no longer sell coconut milk sourced from Thailand.

In a statement to Axios, the company said it does not tolerate "any form of animal abuse in our supply chain" and "out of an abundance of caution" will not be placing orders for coconut milk from Thailand.

"Now the push is to just stop sourcing from Thailand entirely and source from other places that produce coconut milk without the use of monkeys, like the Dominican Republic, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines," said Laura Shields, PETA director of corporate responsibility.

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