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Newsletters The New Iberia Research Center – Chimpanzee Prison
The New Iberia Research Center (NIRC) in Louisiana is one of the
largest primate concentration camps in the United States, incarcerating
over 5000 of our closest relatives in any given year. The animals at
this huge facility include macaque monkeys, vervets, and chimpanzees.
SAEN has previously exposed abuses within the macaque population of
this laboratory. Causes of death for these animals have included trauma,
heat stroke, aspiration pneumonia, and negligence. 1/3 of the primates
who died had little or no body fat, indicating serious illness. The use of chimpanzees in experimentation is one of our nation’s
least-known tragedies. These intelligent primates who share roughly 98%
of our DNA often respond psychologically to the barren captivity of the
laboratory by exhibiting stereotypical behavior. They also suffer
terribly in research involving diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV.
Today, over 1300 chimps are held captive in U.S. labs. Perhaps the most significant part of this tragedy depends on the
lifespan of the chimpanzee species. In captivity chimpanzees can live up
to 60 years. One of the NIRC chimps, Karen, is listed with a birth year
of 1958. This unfortunate animal has spent over 47 years imprisoned
within barren labs. Other chimpanzees at this facility have been
suffering silently for similar periods. Diana and Lady Bird have been
locked up since 1960, as have Jan, Julius, and Pumpkin. Wanda has been
caged since January of 1963. Hope and Penny have been imprisoned since
1964. The heartbreak of this atrocity is something that we cannot fully
comprehend. The list of 140 chimps housed at NIRC which we obtained from
the National Institutes of Health is posted on our website at:
http://www.saenonline.org/res-chimps-nirc.html .
They are incarcerated without parole, though they have committed no
crime other than being similar to humans. Many of the chimps at the NIRC were wild-caught. This means that at
one point in their lives they lived in their natural habitat. This must
be a painful memory for them. Their longing for freedom must be intense.
It is no surprise that many captive primates, chimps, and other
species literally lose their minds. I cannot imagine facing the daily
reality of imprisonment within a place like the NIRC, but over 140
chimps do just that every day. As of now, the only release for these
innocent victims is in death. We MUST win their freedom! Please contact these officials to demand the immediate retirement to
sanctuaries of the 140 chimpanzees who are part of the Chimpanzee
Breeding and Research Program at the New Iberia Research Center in
Louisiana. Dr. Barbara M. Alving, Acting Director Dr. Ray Authement, President
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