WWF criticizes monkey killings

WWF criticizes monkey killings

MANOKWARI, Irian Jaya: The local representative of the environmental watchdog, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has criticized government officials for the recent killing of three Kalimantan monkeys which they feared would spread rabies.

Yopi Muskita told Antara on Saturday that the killing of the three animals was "deplorable and depressing" if the reason was fear of their spreading the disease.

The three monkeys were butchered by security officers and officials from the local office of husbandry without first conducting a laboratory test to determine whether the animals were, in fact, carrying the disease.

"We would not mind the killings if the fear had been based on the results of proper medical testing," he said. (pan)