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USDA cites UCD for two monkey deaths

ACTION ALERT:

Dr. Roxanne Mullaney, 9/25/23
Deputy Administrator, Animal Care, USDA/APHIS/AC
[email protected]
[email protected]

Please launch a full investigation of the UC Davis incidents which killed two primates. This horrific deaths must not go unpunished!

 

USDA cites UCD for two monkey deaths

From Monica Stark, The Davis Enterprise, November 21, 2023

 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture inspection cited UC Davis with two critical violations, following a watchdog complaint in which a laboratory admitted monkey died in 130-degree heat.

When Stop Animal Exploitation Now filed the complaint previously, it was based on a UC Davis document following the heat-stroke incident. Now, the USDA, the enforcers of the Animal Welfare Act, have investigated the complaint and issued a violation for the cooking death of the monkey.

“Not only did they issue a violation, they issued a critical violation, which is much more serious. Also, they issued an additional violation for a separate animal death,” Michael A. Budkie, SAEN executive director, said. “The inspection which UC Davis failed is the first step towards an enforcement action by the USDA, essentially the beginning of a potential prosecution. This also means that the complaint we filed was taken seriously and has had an impact — it caused the inspection and the critical violation to be issued.”

What follows are excerpts from the USDA’s findings regarding the two critical violations:

The first critical violation: Attending a veterinarian and adequate veterinary care

The USDA found that in an overweight macaque that lost a significant amount of weight over a three-month period and suffered from lethargy and diarrhea was humanely euthanized on Aug. 23 after developing a a metabolic fatty liver. According to the USDA, “Although daily observations were performed, the significant weight loss was not observed and therefore it was not conveyed to the veterinarians in a timely manner, resulting in humane euthanasia. Daily observations that effectively assess the health and well-being of the covered animals and convey timely and accurate information on health problems to the attending veterinarian is required under the Animal Welfare Act.”

The second critical violation: Handling

The heater in the van is not thermostatically controlled and the temperature rose over the course of the extended study in the first animal, resulting in hyperthermia in the monkey remaining in the van. The necropsy indicated significant diseases or medical conditions in the animal but confirmed that the cause of death was likely heat-related. The facility temporarily stopped transporting animals offsite and immediately stopped transporting two animals at a time. The particular van was taken out of use to measure the temperatures in similar conditions and heat was documented rapidly developing within the van, which likely exposed the animal to temperatures over the regulatory standard of 85 degrees F for greater than 45 minutes. Temperature monitoring was initiated in the cargo area and thermostatically controlled heaters and air conditioning units will be utilized. UCD corrected at the time of inspection.

In September, UCD stated they deeply regret the preventable heat-related death: “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.” As noted in the USDA report, UC Davis self-reported it to regulators.

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