Species Use Database

Rhesus monkey, Mihou
Macaca mulatta

Used for Medicine and hygiene in China

A. Species

Scientific name: Macaca mulatta

Common name(s): Rhesus monkey, Mihou

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • China

Country/Region:


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: National Level

Name/Details of location: China


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 1980

End Year: 2006


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site and Wild species born/bred and raised/produced in captivity or through artificial propagation

Type of use: Extractive

Practice of use: Ranching, farming or cultivation or wild species

Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal

Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism

Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene

Motivation of use: Largescale commercial exploitation for trade

Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: National / local private sector


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site and Wild species born/bred and raised/produced in captivity or through artificial propagation

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: This NDF Case study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Very few rhesus monkeys have being taken from the wild to add to the gene pool of captive stock in recent years. The wild population trend of Rhesus monkey is increasing in China. The rhesus monkey has been under national protection in China since 1989.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: This NDF Case study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Although not detailed explicitly, this use is intended to be sustainable (self-sustaining) and run as a profitable commercial enterprise.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: This NDF Case study.

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: This use pertains entirely to supplying biomedical and pharmaceutical research.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: This NDF Case study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The need for good sanitation and welfare standards in captive breeding facilities is mentioned, in passing.


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species

Rhesus monkey trading data needs updating.


Record source

Information about the record source: grey_lit

Date of publication/issue/production: 2008-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

CITES NON-DETRIMENTAL FINDING FOR EXPORTING RHESUS MONKEY (MACACA MULATTA) FROM CHINA (2008).
By Zhigang Jiang, Zhibin Meng, Yan Zeng, Zhongze Wu, & Zhihua Zhou.
NDF WORKSHOP CASE STUDIES
WG 5 – Mammals
CASE STUDY 6
Macaca mulatta
Country – CHINA

Date of record entry: 2023-10-06