ACTION ALERT:
Dr. Roxanne Mullaney, 9/25/23UCD reports monkey's heat death
From Monica Stark, DavisEnterprise.com, September 22, 2023
A UC Davis laboratory primate was cooked to a coma inside a 130-degree
university van on May 12, according to an independent report by Christian
Abee, professor emeritus at the University of Texas. The incident led to the
animal's euthanasia following "extensive, multisystem injuries resulting
from acute hyperthermia (heat stroke)," according to Abee.
He wrote that the incident could have been avoided if the van had been
equipped with a thermostatically controlled heater or if the animal had not
been left unattended for a substantial time. Abee noted that the factors
leading to this adverse event were not anticipated within the standard
operating procedures nor from prior experience transporting animals.
UCD is implementing Abee's recommendations, which call for all animal
transport, holding, and housing facilities to have thermostatically
controlled heating and cooling to maintain a steady temperature.
Abee also recommended reviewing and updating standard operating procedures
to ensure regular, frequent checks on animals, that no animal should be left
unattended, and to consider the age and clinical condition of animals being
transported. He also recommended additional staff training.
UCD submitted the report to federal regulators and released the following
statement: "We deeply regret the preventable death of this animal. As home
to one of the largest animal care research programs in the country, the
welfare of every animal at UC Davis is our highest priority, and the
avoidable death of any animal in our program is a tragedy. We are taking
immediate actions to prevent an event like this from occurring again."
Pn a letter to Chancellor Gary S. May, Stop Animal Exploitation Now
Executive Director Michael A. Budkie called for either the immediate
termination of those involved in the incident or their reassignment to
"areas where they will never handle animals again."
He argues that anyone who is "even minimally aware" of the standards for
proper care of a monkey would know that this type of treatment could easily
cause excessive elevation of the monkey's temperature, resulting in injury
or death. "No one who is so oblivious to the welfare of an animal as to
subject them to forced air heat of 130 degrees, and then leave them
unattended for 50 - 90 minutes should be handling animals," he wrote. He
also stated to impact this situation, SAEN filed a federal complaint with
USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.