Huge Florida Monkey Farm Sues Competitor Over Land Purchase

Florida Monkey Farm Lawsuit Reveals Allegations of "Feces-Filled Canals"

(LaBelle, FL) -- A civil lawsuit ("BC US vs. Panther Tracts") filed in Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court has raised disturbing allegations of water pollution from one of the largest monkey farms in the country.

BC US is the U.S. arm of Mauritius-based Bioculture Group, and operates a facility in southern Hendry County for the quarantine, holding and breeding of monkeys imported from the island nation. BC US sells monkeys for use in research and testing.

The lawsuit centers on BC US' desire to purchase property that it has been leasing since 2012. BC US alleges that the property owner, Panther Tracts LLC, is refusing to honor a purchase option in the lease agreement. In response, Panther Tracts argues that BC US is in default of the lease, "by violating environmental laws and improperly disposing of animal waste."

BC US holds close to 2,500 monkeys in dozens of outdoor pens at the property, located on the northern boundary of the Big Cypress National Preserve.

Florida and Hendry County is thought have the largest monkey breeding facilities in the U.S.

On July 8, 2024, Panther Tracts filed a motion for temporary injunction to stop BC US from "unpermitted disposal of animal waste (monkey feces) at the leased premises." The motion alleges, "BC US is not disposing of massive amounts of animal feces by the strict land application required by the ERP [Environmental Resource Permit, issued by the South Florida Water Management District]." The motion describes canals, "filled with floating solid animal feces, algae, and scum resulting from overloading of nutrients."

"The importation and breeding of monkeys for use in laboratory experimentation causes horrible suffering. The thousands of monkeys who are closely confined in concrete and wire enclosures in Hendry County's monkey farms produce enormous quantities of urine and feces and wastewater," said Nanci Alexander, President, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF). "This lawsuit reveals how the monkey farms are a threat to the Big Cypress National Preserve, and to the water resources that are essential to a healthy ecosystem and the clean water that Florida's people, animals and plants depend upon."

Until recently, Panther Tracts was an independent corporation that also leased neighboring property to Worldwide Primates, another supplier of monkeys for use in experimentation. In 2023, Worldwide Primates acquired ownership of Panther Tracts, in effect making one of BC US' competitors also its landlord. Worldwide Primates confines 4,000 monkeys at the Hendry County property.

Previous Southwest Florida Online articles on Monkey Farming

Notes:
- "BC US vs. Panther Tracts", Case No.: 24000015CAAXMX
- Websites: Bioculture Group (www.bioculturegroup.com), BC US (https://bcus-llc.com), Worldwide Primates (http://wwprimates.com)
- Mauritius is the world's largest exporter of wild-caught primates.