In the zoo of the city of Futtsu in Chiba province in the North of Japan with the lethal injection was put to death 57 snow monkeys: they had discovered the gene “invasive alien species”.
About it reports Russian service BBC.
According to zoo staff, during the DNA analysis revealed that snow monkeys mated with monkeys-rhesus, import and reproduction of which in Japan is prohibited by law because it is foreign to the Islands.
Local officials emphasize that the killing of these primates will help preserve the natural habitat.
In the neighboring Buddhist temple held a memorial service for the souls of the slain animals.
Japanese macaques, known as snow, is a species originally inhabiting the Japanese Islands; they attract huge number of tourists.
The country has tough laws that prohibit, in particular, the importation of alien animals, the ownership of their animals and crossing them with the local types.
The employee of Management on Affairs of alien species included in the structure of the Japanese Ministry of the environment, told local journalists that the killing of the monkeys was necessary because of fears about the possibility of their self-reproduction under natural conditions.
The same view is shared by Juniti Mima, the representative of the Japanese branch of the world wildlife Fund (WWF).
According to him, invasive species cause serious problems, “because they mingle with native animals and threaten the natural habitat and the ecosystem”.
