It was twilight for the orangutans indeed at Auckland Zoo in 1991/92 when the notorious drug company Ciba Geigy conducted a series of experiments on these endangered animals which involved injecting them with experimental anaesthetics. Other victims were tuataras which were opened up and had the incisions superglued instead of sutured, and hippopotami which suffered experimental castration that resulted in a death. This comes as no surprise to NZAVS. Most zoos, including the famed London Zoo, are vivisection laboratories behind the scenes. Meanwhile we received word from the International Zoo Initiative in Hamburg, Germany, that it is attempting to establish one single zoo in Europe into which all the animals which have no chance of survival in the wilderness will be transferred. All others will be returned to their original homelands.

Thanks to all who took part in the Auckland Zoo protest on 5 June. Though in Wellington we listened and watched for news of the event it was successfully suppressed and we wondered what this cost Ciba Geigy and MAF! A special acknowledgement to Bruce Grenville for prompt supply of photographs and account of the event.

NZAVS congratulates Metro magazine for publishing the outstanding article (June 1994), the zoo-keepers who spoke out in support of it, and freelance journalist Selwyn Manning for his forceful and informative interview on Pacific Talkback Sunday 12 June. Meanwhile NZAVS asks the following, as yet unasked, questions:

• Why, when NZAVS and the International Primate Protection League sought to establish a New Zealand field officer for the IPPL were we informed by the Government that no primates are used in experiments in New Zealand?
• Why are no primates listed on the annual statistics of animals used in laboratories in New Zealand?
• Why did the Ralston tv interview of 13 June restrict interviewees to Ms Mumaw, boss of Auckland Zoo and J. Boyd, the inadequate and ineffectual representative of the RSPCA, who's strongest comment was: "There are worse zoos in New Zealand than the one in Auckland"?
• Why did DoC "researchers" incise the tuataras? Why, if they claim they were not experimenting, did they write on their report (when the wounds failed to heal) that they "should have tried it [supergluing incisions] on other species"?
• Who paid for the "research"? Who carried it out? What did it cost the taxpayer? Why were these "researchers" not questioned on radio and tv?
• All experiments in New Zealand must be approved by the Minister of Agriculture. Why put a MAF team to "investigate" the Zoo? (Chief investigator is David Bayvel, National Distributor of the booklet Animal Research Saves Lives.) Do we really expect MAF to make detrimental comment of the very system that it (with the blessing and participation of the RNZSPCA) established and administers?

All One Happy Family

• MAF, the RNZSPCA and Ciba Geigy are all members of ANZCCART.
• MAF and the RNZSPCA established the system of animal ethics committees which must approve experiments.

We wish to thank the members who worked so hard on this petition to prohibit US wildlife criminals from international wildlife smuggling. One thousand six hundred signatures. NZAVS' contribution to the IPPL campaign, have now been forwarded to Washington. (Special thanks to Janet Collier, Paraparaumu.)

In April, Shirley McGreal, Chair of IPPL wrote to NZAVS as follows:

"It was wonderful to see your spread of Matthew Block in Mobilise!. Thanks for including the petition in your mailing. Judge Kehoe rejected the plea-bargain and sentenced Block to 13 months' jail (not long enough) but he is playing legal delaying games to keep out of jail - using blood-money from the sale of monkeys. Odd that suffering monkeys have to pay his legal bills.
Best Wishes... Shirley McGreal."

Block is still at large awaiting he Hearing of his appeal. On 1 March 1994, his lawyer and partner in animal smuggling, Michael Metzer was literally blown off the scene when he shot himself in the head. Involving wranglings and corruption, behind the scenes deals, law enforcement officers in on monkey dealings, bribes of government officials and even murder, this is no straight-forward case. Though IPPL documents listing their worldwide informants and agents were placed under seal by a Miami Grand Jury decision, they have been handed over to Block by Miami prosecutor Guy Lewis. This makes McGreal fearful for the lives of her overseas contacts, especially those in remote areas who led to the charge against Block. Whilst vast fortunes from smuggled animals are at stake IPPL is up against corruption, double-dealings and hardened and ruthless criminals.

Meanwhile the charge against Block for violating the Animal Welfare Act at a warehouse in Miami, where 53 primates were held in "appalling" conditions, was withdrawn by the US Dept of Agriculture when Block handed that Department a cheque for $US 16,000.

On 20 August 1992, Flight 462 from Indonesia via Frankfurt landed at Miami Airport at 6.03 with its entire consignment of primates found dead on arrival. The results from subsequent tests showed evidence of shock, stress and possible heatstroke, indicating the likely cause of death to be extremes of temperatures or inadequate ventilation.

Thousands of primates die even before they reach their destinations... vivisection laboratories and zoos.

"The first of all rights is to prevent the doing of wrong."
Dr Walter R. Hadwen

If the above distresses us we should not travel with airlines that carry non-human primates. Among the names of airlines with no clear policy about primate cartage is Ansett. Please write a polite note to this company saying you will not use their services until they can give an assurance that their policy of not carrying primates is established.