Coconut Clash PETA vs. Thailand

 

On February 19th, the animal rights organization PETA publicized a protest by PETA UK. During the demonstration, activists poured coconut milk on themselves outside the Thai embassy in London. They stated this action was to raise awareness about alleged animal cruelty within the Thai coconut milk industry, specifically the use of monkeys for coconut harvesting.

PETA asserts that investigations have revealed instances in Thailand where monkeys are compelled to collect coconuts. They claim these animals are restrained with neck ropes, severely restricting their movement, and confined to cages, leading to distress. PETA has called for consumers to avoid purchasing Thai coconut milk products.

In response, some individuals in Thailand have disputed these claims. They argue that widespread industrial use of monkeys for coconut harvesting is not standard practice. They suggest that the scale of coconut milk production would require an impractical number of monkeys. They further explain that instances of monkeys harvesting coconuts are often related to small-scale, personal use by farmers who treat the animals as part of their families, or for tourist demonstrations. A comment circulated suggesting that some trained monkeys exhibit higher cognitive abilities than those implied by PETA’s representations."