'The stuff of nightmares': US primate
research centers investigated for abuses
By Oliver Milman,
TheGuardian.com, October 28, 2016
Animal welfare campaigners have decried incidents of monkeys dying from strangulation, water deprivation, poor handling by staff and attempted escapes.
Nine US research centers that receive millions of dollars in federal
funding are being investigated over the mistreatment of primates, prompting
calls for the facilities to be shut down.
Incidents include the deaths of dozens of monkeys from strangulation, water
deprivation and poor handling by staff. Other primates have died while
trying to escape, while others have been injured so badly they required
amputations.
Animal welfare campaigners called the litany of allegations against the
research organizations “the stuff of nightmares”. The university and private
research facilities hold thousands of primates for research and collectively
receive more than $300m in taxpayer money from the National Institutes of
Health (NIH).
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed to GuardianUS that it is
investigating the University of Texas, Alpha Genesis, University of
Louisiana, Lafayette, Primate Products, University of California, Davis,
Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Emory University and the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, over potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
Another facility, Shin Nippon Biomedical Lab (SNBL), is being sued by the
USDA over the deaths of 38 primates between December 2011 and May 2016 at
its facilities in Texas and Washington.
SNBL, which has been fined twice previously for violating animal welfare
standards, has “failed to provide adequate veterinary care to animals and
failed to meet the minimum standards for its facilities,” according to the
lawsuit.
The lab failed to properly train staff, treat primate diseases or observe
the animals, the USDA claims. Monkeys were regularly housed in squalid
facilities and mixed in unsuitable groups, causing fights and injuries.
In 2010, four primates attempted to escape, with three dying after becoming
entangled in wires or a chain link fence. Three years later, a shipment of
840 long-tailed macaques from Cambodia resulted in 25 deaths after the
animals were sent onto SNBL facilities despite being in poor condition.
A host of other potential violations have been uncovered at other labs by USDA inspectors. The monkeys are usually macaques, spider monkeys or marmosets, used in research into infectious diseases or psychology. USDA documents reveal incidents including:
Last year, Harvard University and the University of Oklahoma both decided to
wind down their respective primate research programs. The federal government
has effectively shut down research upon chimpanzees, allowing many of the
apes to be retired to new sanctuaries, but experiments can still be
performed upon monkeys and other animals.
The USDA has become increasingly assertive in pursuing various institutions
for poor welfare standards, however, Santa Cruz Biotechnology simply agreed
in May to pay a $3.5m fine and give up its animal dealer license to settle
allegations that it mistreated goats and rabbits.
Kathy Guillermo, senior vice-president of laboratory investigations at Peta,
said: “Experiments on monkeys need to end right now. It’s cruel and it’s bad
science. Monkeys suffer like humans but experiments on them usually don’t
translate to effective treatments for people.
“Millions of our tax dollars fund the strangulation, neglect and abuse of
monkeys at SNBL and other facilities. Anyone doing business with SNBL –
including federal agencies like NIH – needs to cut the purse strings right
now. This place needs to shut down.”
Michael Budkie, co-founder of Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN), said that
several of the institutions under investigation have been previously fined
and more severe sanctions were needed.
“What these monkeys go through is the stuff of nightmares,” he said. “The
way these animals die conjures up images that you can’t forget no matter how
hard you try.
“When facilities become this large they turn into assembly lines and there’s
no way they can possibly care for all of these primates. It also makes it
hard to trust any of the research coming out of them. I would look to close
these facilities. If you repeatedly violate the law, you need to be shut
down.”
Each of the research facilities were contacted for comment. A spokesman for
the University of California, Davis, said it was fully cooperating with the
investigation into its work, which includes research into HIV/Aids, Zika,
Alzheimer’s and lung disease.
“Incidents at UC Davis involving animal care are rare,” he said. “When
issues arise, they are reported to USDA and NIH as appropriate. UC Davis
cooperates fully with all inspections and investigations. We learn from our
mistakes to improve care for all animals.”
A spokeswoman for the University of Wisconsin, Madison said: “UW–Madison has
a dedicated and caring staff of scientists, veterinarians, animal care
technicians, and others who work daily to provide excellent and
compassionate care for animals in our research programs.
“On rare occasions there are incidents, in which case we take corrective
action where possible.”
Alpha Genesis said its animal welfare is “excellent” and performed well in a
recent inspection. The other institutions did not respond by the time of
publication.
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