Each year is designated by an animal. 2003 was the year of the sheep. 2005 will be the year of the rooster.

The year of the monkey is said to be a Yang, or positive year, but fortune is not bestowed upon the monkeys. Their keepers dye their coats bright colors and force them to perform an increased number of tricks to keep the boisterous crowds happy.

The Chutian Metropolis News reported that one monkey, found in a zoo in Wuhan city, capital of Hubei province, had worn away the skin on his rear end after repeatedly performing cycling tricks. The Wugan zoo alone saw 60,000 visitors in January and the trend is expected to continue throughout the year.

Dying the fur of monkeys is all the rage at many facilities throughout China, including Forest Safari Park in Shenyang. The practice, implemented for entertainment purposes, has caused concern among local animal advocates who said the cream used to color the animals bright red, yellow and green could be harmful.

Zhu Chengwei, director of the Shenyang Wild Animal Protection Station, has called for scientific tests to determine if the dye is harming the monkeys.

Staff members said the monkeys had to be anesthetized for the procedure because they were "not cooperative." But, they said, the monkeys didn't seem to be eating the dye, so there should not be any cause for alarm.

Professor Liu Mingyu, a zoologist from the Environment and Life Sciences School of the Liaoning University, said he had never seen dyed monkeys, and whether or not the dye could harm them would depend on the chemicals used.

"As for whether it will hurt their minds, we can observe their reaction after being dyed," Liu said. "Generally speaking, monkeys will jump up and down when they feel excited, but will be in low spirits when they feel upset."

Song Yanzhu, deputy director of the Wild Animal Supervision Department of the park, said there was no lead or other harmful material in the dye, but he did not say what type of dye was being used.

"From their reaction after being dyed, they showed no excitement or extraordinarily abnormal emotion," Song said.

Wild horses in the park are also being dyed with colored stripes to make them look like zebras and more attractive to children.

Turner said that there is some cause for optimism that the upcoming Chinese Animal Welfare Conference (also referred to as the XIXth International Congress of Zoology) might help initiate some changes in China.

The conference will be held in Beijing in August 2004. The event will be organized by the China Zoological Society, China Wildlife Conservation Association and other groups, and will be sponsored by many organizations, including National Natural Science Foundation of China, Forestry Administration of China and International Fund for Animal Welfare.

© 2004 Animal News Center, Inc.