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Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!
S. A. E. N.
"Exposing the truth to wipe out animal experimentation"

Articles and Reports

The Primate Experimentation Scandal, 2003
An Investigative Report
By Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T.,
Executive Director, SAEN

Executive Summary

While exact numerical comparisons regarding the number of primates in laboratories are difficult due to reporting inconsistencies, it is clear that a very high number of primates are currently imprisoned within U.S. laboratories. For fiscal 2002 the USDA reports the use of 52,275 primates in experimentation for the entire U.S. The USDA also reports that U.S. labs held 43,676 primates for breeding or conditioning. This places 95,951 primates within U.S. laboratories.

Funding for primate experimentation appears to be at an all time high with the National Institutes of Health currently directing over $500 million to primate based projects. When other government sources are taken into account the overall funding estimate for the federal government likely exceeds $530 million. The number of primate grants funded by the National Institutes of Health has risen 59.5% in the last ten years.

Government documents reveal a pattern of Animal Welfare Act violations within major primate laboratories across the United States. Primates appear to be dying of dehydration and literally wasting away within many large laboratories. Environmental enhancement appears to be another area of consistent violations of the Animal Welfare Act by laboratories across the U.S. Internal government documents also reveal that as many as 35% of all primates within laboratories experience some level of social isolation.

Despite the performance of experiments which specifically discuss stress and potentially painful conditions, large laboratories continue to mislead federal regulatory agencies by repeatedly reporting zero animals experiencing unrelieved pain or distress. This fallacious reporting is exemplified by documents filed by Harvard and the University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW). Documents filed with the NIH by Harvard for the year 2000 reveal that as many as 605 primates experienced unrelieved pain or distress during experimentation. However, Harvard reported no primates in this category to the USDA. Similarly, documents filed with the NIH by the UW expose 109 primates experiencing unrelieved pain or distress during experimentation. Post mortem records for an additional 29 primates at the UW indicate severe pathological conditions which would have caused substantial suffering for the primates. However, reports filed by the UW with the USDA again reveal the reporting of no primates experiencing unrelieved pain or distress. These filing discrepancies will be the basis of official complaints which will be filed against these universities with the USDA.

This report makes recommendations which will lead to the elimination of redundant experimentation, accurate reporting of experimentation by laboratories, and additional public oversight regarding the escalating use of primates within U.S. laboratories.

Go on to: How Many Primates Are in Labs?
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