Monkeys Kidnapped, Chained, and Beaten: Tell These Companies to Cut Ties With Thai Coconut Milk

PETA Asia’s three investigations into Thailand’s coconut milk industry have exposed rampant cruelty: Chained monkeys are beaten, whipped, yanked down from trees, and forced to pick coconuts under duress. They’re unable to socialize or do anything else that’s natural and important to them, causing distress to these highly emotionally complex and social individuals.

This widespread abuse of monkeys in Thailand for canned coconut milk is going unchecked, and the Thai coconut industry is deliberately hiding it. There are ethical ways to pick coconuts, so it’s not necessary to force monkeys into a lifetime of suffering. Grocery stores are responsible for propping up this industry, and until they stop selling Thai coconut milk brands, defenseless monkeys will continue to suffer.

Companies are now taking action, but these grocery store chains have failed to act to protect monkeys and continue to sell Thai coconut milk:

• Albertsons Companies Inc.
• H-E-B Grocery Company LP
• The Kroger Company
• Publix Super Markets Inc.
• Wakefern Food Corporation
• Wegmans Food Markets Inc.
• World Market

Exploited monkeys urgently need you to ask these companies to stop selling Thai coconut milk. To force them to work, handlers often hit and whip the frightened animals, dangling them by chains around their necks while they gasp for breath. After this violent “training,” they’re sold to coconut pickers.

In their natural homes, macaques spend most of their time foraging for food on the ground rather than climbing tall trees to pick coconuts, which are too heavy for them. Monkeys forced to pick coconuts are at risk of broken bones or death if they fall or are yanked down by impatient handlers. They’re also frequently bitten by ants and stung by hornets, which can be fatal.

During PETA Asia’s three investigations, macaques were often found chained alone, without essential social interaction. Monkeys lacked access to food, water, and shade, showing the cruelty inherent in the industry.

Please send polite comments to:

Colleen Wegman, CEO
Wegmans Food Markets
[email protected]

Then use the form below to tell six other companies that they must stop selling Thai coconut milk. Thank you for your compassion!

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