The Java Girls — From Lab Animals to a New Life

In the autumn of 2013, Odsherred Zoo Rescue received 18 Java macaques from a Belgian testing centre, where they had been used in cosmetics industry experiments.

After a year in Spain, where the group was assembled and prepared for a new life, the 18 monkeys arrived at Odsherred Zoo Rescue. It was the largest rescue operation the centre has ever participated in.

The monkeys were part of a group of 100 laboratory animals in total, who were rehomed to permanent homes at rescue centres across Europe.

Since 2006, Odsherred Zoo Rescue has had a close partnership with Europe's largest rescue centre, AAP in the Netherlands. AAP took responsibility for the monkeys when they could no longer be used for testing, and ensured they were distributed to approved rescue centres.

Today, the 18 Java macaques live in a safe enclosure here at Rescue Zoo, where they can live in peace and express their natural behaviour.

With support from our visitors and partners, Odsherred Zoo Rescue can continue its mission of rescuing exotic animals in need and giving them a new chance in life.