Peter Gabriel: Don’t Shock, Poison or Kill the Monkey

Rock-and-roll icon Peter Gabriel has just taken time out from his European tour to sound off about an issue that is completely inexcusable – Air France’s involvement in trafficking primates for animal testing. In a letter that he sent to Air France CEO Alexandre de Juniac, the “Sledgehammer” singer points out that Air France is the only airline that still transports monkeys to laboratories where they are caged, experimented on and killed. He wrote the following:

Before arriving at their final destination, these intelligent, sensitive primates are torn from their homes and families, locked inside small wooden crates in Air France cargo holds and forced to endure gruelling, frightening flights that often last more than 30 hours. 

At the American and European laboratories served by Air France, primates are violently force-fed chemicals, inflicted with brain damage, crippled, addicted to cocaine or alcohol, deprived of food and water, or psychologically tormented and ultimately killed.

Aer Lingus, Air China, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Virgin, United Airlines and all other major airlines have banned the transport of primates to labs.

I urge you to stop supporting the mistreatment of monkeys in painful and deadly experiments and to join other leading airlines in adopting and adhering to a formal policy that prohibits the transport of primates to laboratories.

Peter’s letter comes hot on the heels of an appeal by world-renowned primatologist Dr Jane Goodall calling on Air France to show compassion to monkeys. Many thousands of people from all over the world have also written to the company explaining that they will be choosing to fly with other airlines as long as Air France continues to ship monkeys to their deaths.

Please add your voice to the movement: