A major US-Nepal joint biomedical research venture has Nepalese rhesus monkeys at the heart of a research debate.
Surendra Sharma
KATHMANDU: A major US-Nepal joint biomedical research venture has Nepalese rhesus monkeys at the heart of an alleged HIV and AIDS vaccine research debate.
Three years ago, researchers from the US’ Washington Primate Research Centre and Kathmandu-based Nepal Biodiversity Research Institute took sample of dead rhesus monkeys from a famous Buddha Stupa in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.
And last year, the US and Nepalese primate researchers got 50 monkeys from the Department of National Parks and shifted them into a captive breeding centre on the outskirts of the city, at Lele village. There, researchers say, an HIV and AIDS vaccine trail is currently underway.
Now government officials and environmental activists are demanding “better transparency” in carrying out vaccine trials in the captivated rhesus monkeys and their offspring. “The US researchers took away samples of some dead monkeys to the States,” says Mangal Man Shakya, of Kathmandu-based wildlife group. “Now they are saying they have started vaccine trials here.”
The activists say they don’t know what’s happening. Such practices — including “gifting of endangered rhinos and tigers by the royals,” activists like Shakya and some government officials, are “unfair and illegal.” The activists have also launched a major international signature campaign in an attempt to get such trails stopped.
Although government officials say they say they have allowed private individuals and enterprises to start keeping and breeding, certain common species of wildlife like rhesus monkeys, included some protected ones, they say it’s illegal to export wildlife or their organs abroad. “It is true that people have started purchasing and raising wildlife species,” Mohan Wagle, spokesperson at the Ministry of Forest said. “But it’s illegal to export wildlife.”
“We want such researches to happen only at the national level.” But Nepal’s renowned monkey expert, Dr Mukesh Chalise, who allegedly introduced Nepal’s rhesus monkeys to US researchers, argues “such trails would make huge contributions to humanity in the long run.” “The rhesus monkeys were proven ideal even for the polio and yellow fever vaccine trials.” He dismisses charges that the primates are being illegally exported.
Endangered rhino killed
Poachers have gunned down an endangered one-horned rhino, taking the total number of rhinos killed in and around Chitwan National Park to nine in four months, officials said.
The dead rhino with a bullet injury on its neck and without its horn was found outside the park. Chitwan park is home to nearly 500 one-horned rhinos, whose horns and hooves are used in making oriental aphrodisiac medicines. —DNA
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