Global wildlife trade authorities indicate that Cambodia has not made significant advancements in reforming its monkey export sector. This assessment comes one year after the country was identified as needing major changes in how it oversees the capture, breeding, and export of monkeys for biomedical research. In November 2025, after various controversies, the CITES secretariat released recommendations for Cambodia. According to a document shared on October 5, CITES reported that the minimal changes to the governance of monkey farms mean the organization cannot verify if fraud or corruption exists in the trade of long-tailed macaques, a species classified as endangered.
This announcement precedes the upcoming CITES Standing Committee meeting in Geneva, scheduled for November 2-6, where member countries will evaluate the progress of those under review. Nations that fail to comply with CITES regulations might face restrictions on trade. Reports suggest that monkey poaching in Cambodia has decreased, though the populations and habitats of long-tailed macaques are thought to have significantly declined in recent years.
Cambodia has faced criticism after a five-year investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) revealed strong evidence that Cambodian monkey farms have been misrepresenting wild-caught monkeys as being bred in captivity. Experts have raised concerns that this situation increases the risk of zoonotic diseases, which can transfer from wildlife to humans. Additionally, the wild population of long-tailed macaques is estimated to have dropped by 50% to 70% over the last thirty years. This article originally appeared on Mongabay. What are your thoughts on wildlife trade regulations?
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Source: Mongabay Animals, by Isabel Esterman