Video Gallery: Cruelty Uncovered At Korean ‘Monkey School’

“This is just disgusting & so very cruel! Using animals for entertainment should be banned all over the world; seeing this just breaks my heart. Please watch the videos below; then sign the petition!”

Updated: 14 February 2014

An investigation by ADI into a Korean “attraction” that forces monkeys to perform in degrading shows has revealed shocking conditions behind the scenes.
At the Monkey School, which is located in Gamgyori in South Korea, ADI found:

Monkeys kept in squalid and barren conditions, including mothers and their young babies
Traumatized animals exhibiting abnormal behaviour, such as constantly spinning around and biting themselves
Some monkeys isolated in tiny cages, others crammed together
Animals hit during training and dragged along the floor
Disgraceful contempt for a monkey as it tries to escape with its hands tied behind its back, falling onto its face, as workers laugh at its predicament and terror

These disturbing findings highlight a life of extreme neglect and cruelty for these intelligent and sensitive animals – an all too common occurrence for performing animals which ADI has revealed time and again, suffer terribly behind the scenes.

On seeing the footage, Sharon Shaw, Director of Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary in the UK said: “All aspects of life for primates at Monkey School are appalling, from the inadequate and atrocious housing conditions, the physical and psychological torture, to the lack of empathy and respect shown by the staff. The poor animals who are unlucky enough to live there endure a barbaric, unnatural life.”

During the public shows, monkeys are made to wear clothes, ride around on a motorbike, do handstands, jump through hoops and respond to commands as directed.

It is shameful that these intelligent, social and emotional primates are terrorized and forced to undertake such degrading tricks – especially in light of modern understanding of primates and their use of tools, language and self-awareness – abilities which, at one time, were considered to be unique to humans. This also sends the worst possible message to children about respect for the other intelligent species that share our planet and how we should treat, and protect, animals.

The terrible suffering of the animals at Monkey School – and establishments like them – must stop.

ADI is working with our campaign partner Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) to encourage the Government and people of Korea to reject the cruel and unnecessary use of animals in entertainment.

We are supporting new legislation, the ‘Zoo Act’, proposed by Congresswoman Chang which, if passed, would ban animal performances and set minimum welfare standards and inspections for places that exhibit captive animals.

Highlighting the need for the legislation, Congresswoman Hanna Chang: “As seen in the ADI footage, it is hard to imagine the pain that monkeys have to go through for humans every day. This clearly shows that it is now time to have regulations to monitor the welfare of animals in captivity in Korea.”

Congresswoman Chang’s proposal has strong support from animal protection organizations. ADI and KARA have joined over 80 national and international groups in sending a joint letter to the Government stating support for the draft law.

It is time to end the exploitation of, and brutality towards, animals used for entertainment.

Help us campaign to end animal shows in Korea, and around the world.

Take action!

Sign our petition calling on the Environmental Committee of the Korean Government to support the Zoo Act
Make a donation to help fund our investigations and campaigns to help animals in entertainment around the world (make a £ donation here)

How do you get a monkey to walk like us?
What you don’t see when you visit an animal show. This little monkey is abused and derided during a training session to teach him to walk like a human.

How do you get a monkey to walk like us?

An investigation by ADI into the Korean Monkey School – which forces monkeys to perform in degrading shows – revealed shocking conditions behind the scenes and cruelty to the animals during training. This video shows the suffering you don’t see when you visit an animal show.

Find out more and how you can get involved athttp://bit.ly/1c5IMbi.

Animals in entertainment. It’s no fun for the animals.

Animal Defenders International
http://www.ad-international.org

That’s entertainment
The hidden cruelty that performing animals are subjected to. To provide a show for the public, these monkeys are subjected to a life of extreme neglect and cruelty.

Animal Suffering at Korean Monkey School

Animals in entertainment. It’s no fun for the animals.
Animal Defenders International
http://www.ad-international.org

Harmless fun? You decide.
It may look like fun to the audience, but monkeys are exposed to shocking conditions behind the scenes and terrible abuse during training.

Harmless fun? You decide.