Created by William Lane-Petter
15 Oct 1955
Description:

'MEMORANDUM ON THE AIR TRANSPORT OF MONKEYS FROM INDIA TO THE U.K.

'MEMORANDUM ON THE AIR TRANSPORT OF MONKEYS FROM INDIA TO THE U.K.

1. OBJECTIVE:

The standard of shipment of monkeys from India to the U.K. has, up till now, varied from fairly good to bad. The best shipments have shown a mortality little if any above zero during air shipment. But, even in the best shipments, the monkeys, on arrival in the U.K., have appeared poorly nourished and suffering from some effect of stress. They have taken a long time to come into good condition and, during the three months or so after arrival, there has been a varying rate of mortality. This is not only inhuman but also wasteful, for the greater part of the cost of monkeys arriving in the U.K. is made up by the cost of freight. It would be more economical and, of course, more humane to ensure that monkeys to be shipped were in first class physical condition, even though this were to add to their cost ex-India, and that the conditions of their shipment were of the highest standard. The objective, therefore, should be so as to arrange the supply of monkeys from India to the U.K. that the wastage, both before and after arrival in the U.K., was as far as possible eliminated, and that the conditions should represent an example both of efficiency and of humanity.

2. CAUSES OF DISSATISFACTION:

a) FROM TRAPPING TO CONCENTRATION AREA: Monkeys are trapped by various methods in different parts of India, notably in the U.P. After trapping, the monkeys are placed in bamboo crates, and are sent down to the Delhi area by road and rail. Some methods of trapping are more humane than others, but there is a temptation for the trappers to crowd too many monkeys into one crate; to put in monkeys of different sizes, so that the smaller or weaker ones suffer; and to give inadequate food and water to the monkeys while they are in the crates. It is usual for the monkeys, when trapped, to show evidence of chronic under-nourishment. After trapping, their conditions will further deteriorate;

b) CONCENTRATION AREA: On arrival in the Delhi area, they are received into a compound, belonging to one or another of the big monkey dealers. Here, it has been customary to release the monkeys into larger cages, containing twenty-five, fifty or more monkeys per cage, to sort these roughly by size, to remove the injured and sick animals and to provide food, water and hygiene. The dealers are more or less skilled in the care of monkeys under such conditions, but they [2-3] have little or any expert scientific knowledge, and they have not, so far, employed the services of scientifically trained people to help and advise them. The result is that infection present in a few monkeys is liable to spread at least to other monkeys in the same cage, and sick monkeys are only removed when their symptoms become obvious. By this time, they may have infected their mates with tuberculosis, dysentery, parasitic infection and other diseases. However, in such large groups, even though there is some attempt to sort the monkeys by size, the weak animals will not get as much food and water as they need, and they will not improve in condition as they should;

c) SPACE REQUIREMENTS IN TRANSIT: Within a short time of their arrival in Delhi, depending on the availability of air transport, the monkeys considered fit for travel will be packed into travelling crates, and taken to the airport. The crate now used by the best dealers is, on the whole, satisfactory, but there have been instances where even a well-constructed crate has been overcrowded, or else monkeys of different sizes are placed in the same crate. If care is not taken to avoid overcrowding, or to see that monkeys are [3-4] properly sorted by size in the crates, then further deterioration must take place during transport from India to the U.K.;

d) THE AIR LIFT: The Air Companies, in particular the B.O.A.C., have given much attention to the care of animals during their journey. They have always shown themselves ready to adopt any measures suggested to them, and, if their methods are open to criticism, it is not from lack of willingness to co-operate, but rather from lack of good advice. One or more animal attendants always travel with the animals, and provision is made for feeding and watering them, both in the air and during the intermediate stops. At intermediate stops, the monkeys are taken off the plane and suitably accommodated, the cages are cleaned and sufficient food and water are given. Nevertheless, there is almost certainly room for improvement in the care of animals actually during transit;

e) RECEPTION IN THE U.K.: On arrival at London Airport, the monkeys are nearly always taken into the airport hostel, which is run by the R.S.P.C.A. Here further care and attention are given until the monkeys are removed for distribution to laboratories in the U.K. Their stay in the hostel is a matter of hours only. However, even this delay is undesirable, for it is essential that the monkeys should stay no longer in their travelling crates than is absolutely necessary.

3. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

a) FROM TRAPPING TO CONCENTRATION AREA: The steps that can be taken to improve the condition of the monkeys from the time they are trapped to their delivery to the Delhi area depends so much upon local circumstances that it is impossible to lay down any definite rules. It would be to the interest of the dealers purchasing animals from the trappers to ensure that, as far as possible, the monkeys are not overcrowded in their bamboo crates, that they are fed and - much more important - watered during this period, and that the length of this period is kept short as possible;

b) CONCENTRATION AREA: On arrival at the Dealers' compounds in the Delhi area, it is considered advisable that the monkeys should be put in twos or threes into small cages, rather than in larger numbers into bigger cages. This would, undoubtedly, add to the cost of accommodating them, and also to the labour of caring for them, but, if a serious attempt is to be made to control infection and to get the monkeys into good physical condition, this suggestion is absolutely necessary. This view is based on the knowledge and [5-6] experience of the members of the scientific staff of the Malaria Institute of India, who have great experience of this problem. It is necessary that the monkeys, while held in the dealers' compounds, should be individually examined by a qualified medical or veterinary man, in order to detect early signs of tuberculosis, dysentery and other infections. The proper sorting of monkeys into groups of two or three will also ensure that the monkeys actually take the food and water offered to them, and will, of course, reduce chances of infection present in one or two monkeys becoming widespread. Under these conditions, it is to be expected that the physical condition of the monkeys will improve rapidly, and that within three weeks or so they will be fit, well-nourished and ready for onward transmission to the U.K. Only monkeys that have put on condition [sic] during this stage should be shipped. Failure to put on condition during this convalescent period will also indicate some undiagnosed infection;

c) SPACE REQUIREMENTS: When the monkeys are ready to be shipped, they should be packed into their travelling crates in such a way as to avoid overcrowding and fighting and to ensure that they have facilities for being properly fed and watered. It should also be simple to keep the [6-7] cages cleaned while they are occupied by the monkeys. The design and dimensions of crates, and the number of monkeys per crate have been the subject of consideration both by the Indian Government and by the Medical Research Council. The experience of dealers and shippers has been valuable in this connection. While the recommendations concerning travelling crates should be sufficiently exacting to prevent overcrowding or other defects, they should, at the same time, give some latitude, in order to allow economic storage in the types of aircraft used for this traffic. Regulations based on cubic capacity rather than linear dimensions are more satisfactory. The exact observance of linear dimensions can result in an aircraft containing far fewer crates, while, at the same time, having much space unutilized. This adds considerably to the cost of freightage, without benefit to the animals.

...

4. RESULTS TO BE EXPECTED:

The above recommendations are, in many respects, radical. They will undoubtedly add to the cost of monkeys ex-India, due to the desirability of conditioning monkeys before they are shipped, instead of attempting to do so after their arrival in the U.K. However, since the total cost of monkeys in the U.K. is made up very largely by the cost of freightage, this should represent an overall economy, for it costs no more to ship a healthy monkey than it does a sick one. Moreover, under the new regulations, such as those recommended by the M.R.C., or those enforced by the Government of India, the cost of freightage is bound to be increased, and this once more stresses the importance of conditioning in India before shipment.

The wastage is not only represented by the number of monkeys actually dying within three months of arrival in the U.K. but also by the extra care and attention necessary for conditioning them after their arrival The result will be that the monkeys will cost perhaps one-and-a-half times to twice as much in the U.K.; but, if the above recommendations succeed in substantially reducing or eliminating the wastage, then both economy and humanity are well served. In this way, the objective, outlined under Section 1. of making the India-U.K. traffic in monkeys an example to be emulated by others in likely to be attained.'