Yerkes' Chimps Must Go to U.S. Sanctuaries
Action Alert from All-Creatures.org

FROM

New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS)
October 2015

VICTORY UPDATE from NEAVS, November 19:

NIH to Release All Federally Owned Chimpanzees to Sanctuary!

NEAVS is overjoyed to report that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has decided to send ALL NIH OWNED CHIMPANZEES TO SANCTUARY! This is an important and heart warming reversal of NIH's previous decision to retire its chimpanzees but to keep "50 in reserve" for possible future need.

NIH added that its funding for privately owned chimpanzees will end! NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins, explained: "I think this is the natural next step of what has been a very thoughtful five-year process of trying to come to terms with the benefits and risks of trying to perform research with these very special animals,” Collins said in an interview with Nature. “We reached a point where in that five years the need for research has essentially shrunk to zero."

ACTION

[Also read from November 13, 2015: NEAVS Posts Comments Opposing Yerkes' Donation to Wingham Wildlife Park]

We only have until November 16th, 2015 to voice opposition to Yerkes’ request to ship eight chimpanzees overseas in the guise of ‘enhancement of the survival of the species!’  

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) announced today, October 15th, a 30-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD on the Federal Register for Yerkes National Primate Research Center’s permit application request to export eight of its chimpanzees overseas to Wingham Wildlife Park, an unaccredited U.K. facility.

PLEASE take five minutes and help us give the Yerkes’ eight and ALL former research chimpanzees a lifetime in the safety of the sanctuary they deserve!

TAKE ACTION HERE.

TELL U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reFor permit application PRT - 69024B):

  • As an “endangered” species, Yerkes’ chimpanzees deserve the fullest protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
  • FWS must reject Yerkes’ permit application to send them overseas and out of the protection of U.S. law.
  • Approving the application would signal a weakening of their uplisted endangered status and set a dangerous precedent for other labs!
  • FWS must not allow any wavering from the true intent of the ESA and risk failing the very animals they agreed to protect.

INFORMATION

NEAVS and its coalition of organizations challenge the permit request by Yerkes, which if granted will send chimpanzees out of the U.S. beyond protection of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). The application specifically indicates a breedable population of two males and six females; thereby, allowing for the possibility that an unaccredited wildlife park may ‘breed’ additional chimpanzees to be held in captivity -- doing nothing to enhance their survival in the wild. Further, the facility has no known experience providing for former laboratory or any other chimpanzees.

We ask NEAVS’ SUPPORTERS, to help get these and ALL captive chimpanzees the FULL protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and into U.S. sanctuaries – not shipped overseas. The E.U. already has numerous chimpanzees in desperate need of placements.

See Receipt of Applications for Permit: Endangered Species; Wild Bird conservation; Marine Mammals.


Thank you for everything you do for animals!


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