Nafovanny inVietnam is the largest captive-breeding primate facility in the world. It suppliescrab-eating Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) toanimal testing laboratories.
Nafovanny was set up in 1994 by Vanny Chian Technology, aHong Kong company, according toReuters.[2]
Criticism of the project was expressed by Dr. John Wedderburn, a former member of theRSPCA's ruling council: "It is terrible, terrible. There is no end to the ingenuity of man when it comes to making money and being cruel." Daniel Chen, a director of Vanny Chain Technology responded "We have not got a problem with that because what we are doing is very humane and it is for the welfare of human beings."[2]
Nafovanny consists of two main farms inLong Thanh, Vietnam.[3] According to theBritish Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), the facility also maintains satellite breeding farms on the Cambodian border, in which the BUAV alleges wild monkeys may also be held. The existence of these farms is not referenced in the company's brochure, according to the BUAV.[4]
TheBritish Home Office has said it has no knowledge of Nafovanny satellite farms. However, it also said that "This decision was premised upon the contractual arrangements having been entered into in good-faith whilst Nafovanny was still considered to be an acceptable source, and animals already selected for onward supply to the UK. The view was taken that proper provision would be made for the welfare of these animals prior to their being shipped to the UK – and that this could be verified from the records and findings on arrival."[5]
The British government approved Nafovanny to exportprimates to British laboratories in 1999.[4] The BritishAnimal Scientific Procedures Inspectorate visited Nafovanny in March 2005 and identified "shortcomings in animal accommodation and care", but since then, the government has "received assurances and evidence that significant improvements have been made".[6]
According toViet Nam News, 3,000 Nafovanny macaques were exported to theU.S. for testing purposes in 2000.[7] TheInternational Primate Protection League reported that Nafovanny exported 1,440 macaques to the United States in 2013.[8]
