Wild Futures contact boy band One Direction about use of a chimpanzee in music video
23rd October 2014
Dear One Direction,
We are very saddened to see that you are using a wild animal, a chimpanzee, in one of your promotional videos. Wild Futures is very concerned about the use of wild animal “actors” and in particular the use of primates. We are a primate welfare and conservation charity that supports projects around the world, works with governments to protect primates and we have a sanctuary in the UK for victims of the pet and entertainment industries.
We know that you would not deliberately abuse any animal, but believe that these situations arise because of a lack of understanding or knowledge of the reality for primate “actors”.
Please read on to see why we are so passionate about this:
The use of wild animals in this way is a damaging and destructive practice that is condemned by zoologists, animal welfare scientists and conservationists worldwide. Such concerns go far beyond the treatment of the animals on-set: the use of wild animals as actors is in many cases highly detrimental to welfare of the individuals involved in ways that can manifest throughout their lifetimes; while studies show that the use of wild animals as actors may even have a negative impact on the survival of animal populations in the wild, by increasing demand for that species as pets and/or by diminishing concern for their conservation in the wild.
Wild animals used as actors may appear to be well-treated on set or in training (though there is plenty evidence that this is not always the case), but our concern is that the very process employed to make these animals tractable and safe to work with involves depriving them of their natural “identity”, opportunities for natural behaviour and is detrimental to the animals’ health and welfare. Young primates, for example, are taken away from their mothers before weaning age, which can cause lasting psychological damage, and adversely affect physical development of the young monkey’s brain. The youngsters are then raised in a highly unnatural social and physical environment in which they do not have the chance to develop into healthy, well-adjusted individuals. Instead, as with many wild animals in captivity, they can develop a host of abnormal behaviours which range from pacing or rocking (as often seen in conjunction with psychological disorders in humans), to excessive aggression or extreme submission, to self-injurious behaviour. Even the luckiest of these primates often lack the skills that are a vital part of living in a social group and thus spend much of their long lives completely isolated from any contact with other primates. These same problems can be seen in a wide range of animals used in performance.
The chimpanzee you were working with is very young and may not yet manifest these problems. Although he/she will certainly have been taken from his/her mother which can only have caused huge distress to both. It will not be long before the juvenile chimpanzee grows and becomes far too dangerous to “work” any more. Then please ask yourself what future does he/she have?
The public increasingly agrees with our stance in condemning any use of wild animals as actors. We ask you, One Direction, with the following you have, the influence you can create, with all the potential for transforming this situation into something good by taking a stance, to please make the compassionate and well-informed decision to end your use of performing wild animals and pull the video now.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like further information on any of this. Thank you for your time and I hope that you make a thoughtful decision on this.
Many thanks,
Rachel Hevesi
Wild Futures
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Notes to Editors:
About Wild Futures
Wild Futures (Charity reg. No. 1102532) is an educational and environmental charity promoting the welfare and conservation of primates and working to end the abuse of primates in captivity. Its flagship project, The Monkey Sanctuary, in Cornwall, is home to victims of the primate pet trade. The Monkey Sanctuary is the only Sanctuary in Europe accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and is a founder and board member of EARS (European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries). Drawing on 50 years of primate expertise, Wild Futures acts as an advisory body to sanctuaries and conservation organisations in the UK and overseas and advises DEFRA on UK animal welfare legislation.
For more information contact:
Tel; 0844 272 1271
www.wildfutures.org