Russia Are Planning On Sending Monkeys Out To Live On Mars In 2017. Help Us Stop Them

Andrea A.

Russia have just announced that they have four monkeys who "are in the training process" for a space mission to Mars which is scheduled for 2017. Scientists from Russia's Academy of Science, based in Moscow, picked four macaques from a breeding farm. "These animals are the most intelligent with the best ability to learn",they claimed.

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Three hours of training per day

The training process, which is being led byDr. Inessa Kozlovskaya, includes teaching the primates how to handle a joystick.Once they've mastered how to use a joystick, they will then betrained how to solvepuzzles and mathematical problems.

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These monkeys are therefore completely cut off from their natural habitat and will have undergo years of testing in laboratories.And the saddest part? These poor monkeys spend the majority of their lives locked in tiny cages waiting for their next training appointment.

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A two-year process

The training process is supposed to take two years. Its aim? That by the end, the monkeys will becapable of completing a daily schedule of tasks on their own.Dr. Kozlovskaya told theDaily Mailabout her vision for the project:

What we are trying to do is to make them as intelligent as possible so we can use them to explore space beyond our orbit.

Pic shows: Monkey with scientifics. The Russians are up to some monkey business in space, after it was revealed they are planning to have a team of macaques capable of going to Mars in two years. Scientists from the Institute of Biomedical Problems, which is part of the Russian Academy Of Science, say they are preparing four rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to train them to be able to make the flight. The animals are being trained three hours a day so they can travel safely into outer space, and eventually land on Mars. The special group of rhesus macaques were chosen for their cognitive abilities and their quick-learning skills. For scientific projects these type of monkeys are hand-reared in special farms, where the cleverest ones get selected to work at the Institute of Biomedical Problems. Inessa Kozlovskaya, one of the leading experts from the institute, believes that sending a monkey to Mars is a viable option. She said: "What we are trying to do is to make them as intelligent as possible so we can use them to explore space beyond our orbit." The smartest representative of the four macaquesí is called Clyopa who is seen on this extraordinary training video. Every day the cute little creature spends hours learning how to control a joystick and hit a target, which is highlighted by a cursor. Natalia Miller, one of the specialists working with the monkey, says that Clyopa gets a sip of a juice as a treat for fulfilling tasks properly. The next step the Russian scientists plan to accomplish is teaching the macaques how to solve simple mathematical tasks and puzzles. At the end of their training, the smart creatures should be able to complete their daily schedule of tasks on their own. Inessa Kozlovskaya, who has been working on the program since the 1980s, said that the main goal is to teach monkeys to perform a particular range of tasks which they will be able to remember. The team are also hoping that the space monkeys will be able to train others and integrate them into the team, and hopefully their descendants will also benefit from having intelligent parents. Macaques typically have a lifespan of around 25 years, so it is hoped there is enough time to train them properly and for them to survive the six-month trip to Mars. (ends)

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A journey with no return

Whilst they may not have officially recognised it, it is more than likely that the monkeys will not be returning to Earth. So essentially these primates are being sent off to outer space with no hope of return.History has shown that the majority of animals who have been sent into space on missions have not come back. Most of them diedalone and terrified in a cockpit.

PETA are demanding Russia to abort the mission

NASA, the European Space Agency, and even the Chinese Space Administration, have banned the use of animals. The Russian Federal Space Agency are therefore the last to still be using monkeys on their missions in outer space. And this has not gone unnoticed by animal rights activists.

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PETA, who have launched a campaign demanding Russia to abort the mission,explained on their site:

There's no reason to repeat the dark days of early space exploration, in which dogs and primates died in horrific ways, all alone in a tiny spacecraft hurtling through space. Laika, the husky mix sent into space on Sputnik 2 in 1957, died of overheating and panic within hours of takeoff. Other animals sent into space have frozen to death, died from suffocation or burned up on impact.

You can sign PETA's petition hereto help stop this doomed mission for the monkeys.If you want to see photos of the monkeys currently undergoing training in Russia, you can here:

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