‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’ Cast & Plot: Animal Rights Groups Cry Foul for Using Real Monkeys?

The production for “Pirates of the Caribbean 5” has already begun in Australia and the crew members have been bending their backs just to get everything in place before shooting continues, including securing a couple of capuchin monkeys to reprise the role of Jack the Monkey. Although Jack’s role was not extremely significant in the storyline, his presence was almost as good for comic relief as Johnny Depp’s take on Captain Jack Sparrow.

Jack the Monkey is the famous pet owned by Captain Barbossa, played by Geoffrey Rush. Jack might only be a small addition to the cast but the character has been around since the first movie, which would make the fifth one incomplete without him. Moreover, Jack's presence became a must since Disney already confirmed Rush’s reprisal of his role.

However, the presence of Jack the Monkey hangs in the balance since multiple animal rights groups were angered by the movie crew’s bid to fly in the monkeys to the set. Humane Society International Australia, Captive Animals Protection Society, Wild Futures, and Born Free Foundation have gone public with their outcry, calling for the government to deny all permits requested to bring the capuchin monkeys into the “Pirates of the Caribbean 5” set, as per Refinery29.

They opposed the move because flying the monkeys from California to Australia simply for the purpose of filming the huge Disney movie will unduly stress the animals. Plus, they believe that letting primates perform in films was inherently cruel and unnatural.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, together with Disney, applied for a permit to bring in one male and one female capuchin monkeys, aged 20 and 19, respectively.

The request has neither been approved nor denied as of the moment but The Guardian reported that Greg Hunt, the federal environment minister of Australia, was considering the option of allowing the monkeys to enter Australian soil for the latest pirate-centered blockbuster.

Cordelia Britton, the campaigns officer of Wild Futures, said that the producers of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” should consider making use of technology to add Jack’s image instead of subjecting real animals to do the job. As per The International Business Times, capuchin monkeys are known for their “complex physical and psychological needs.” Plus, according to Britton’s accounts, they may also find it difficult to adapt to the life of an animal actor.