Stop monkey cull at once, welfare groups urge Sint Maarten government

A group of vervet monkeys in Florida. The Sint Maarten monkeys have been blamed for eating crops, destroying gardens and acting aggressively. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Seventy-five animal welfare organisations and experts have called on the government of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean to immediately stop its attempt to cull the territory’s entire population of vervet monkeys.

The international protest comes after the Guardian revealed in January that the Dutch territory is funding a non-profit organisation to eradicate the “nuisance” species over the next three years.