Threats to Chimpanzee Survival
Chimps in Research
Non-human Animals in Research
A large percentage of testing is useless, and should be stopped today. - Dr. Jane Goodall
"Biomedical research involving the use of living animals began in an era when scientists, at least during the hours they spent in the lab, maintained that animals were mere machines, incapable of feeling pain or any other emotion. It was not considered important or even necessary, to cater to the wants and needs of experimental animals... Thus, it was hardly surprising that research animals were kept in tiny sterile cages, stacked one on top of the other, usually one animal per cage. And ethical concern for the animal subjects was kept firmly outside the (locked) doors.
"Animal research [has become]... by and large, taken for granted-the accepted way of gaining new knowledge about disease, its treatment and prevention. And, too, the accepted way of testing all manner of products [medical and otherwise], destined for human use, before they go on the market.
"Of course I would like to see the lab cages standing empty. So would every caring, compassionate human, including most of those who work with animals in biomedical research.
"Alternatives: Already, in many fields of research and testing, the growing concern for animal suffering has led to major advances in the development of techniques such as tissue cultures, in vitro testing, and computer simulation and so on. Much understanding of disease has derived from epidemiology and clinical observation.
"Need: [Animals] should be used only for the most pressing projects that have clear-cut health benefits for many people and contribute significantly to the alleviation of human suffering. Other uses of animals in the labs should be stopped immediately, including the testing of cosmetics and household products.
"Humane treatment: As long as animals are used in our labs for any reason whatsoever, they should be given the most humane treatment possible and the best living conditions.
"Mindset: Instead of saying "Sadly we shall always need to use some animals for some purposes" we should say "This abuse of animals is not ethical. Let us therefore get together and use our awesome intellect to speed up the day when this practice is a thing of the past."
Chimpanzees in Biomedical Research
"Chimpanzees and other primates have been used in biomedical research as animal models for human diseases. They have been used for assessing the damage done to the brain and skull during simulated head impact crashes and social deprivation studies. Chimps are so like us that they can catch or be infected by nearly all known human infectious diseases.
"Chimpanzees infected with the human strain of HIV keep the retrovirus alive in the blood stream. But during almost 20 years of research, with the exception of two male chimpanzees at Yerkes Primate Research Centre, no chimp has come down with full-blown symptoms of AIDS.
"Defenders of chimpanzee research maintain that using chimpanzees has yielded many valuable and important insights into human diseases and their cures. Opponents argue that there are alternatives to using chimpanzees, including the use of human volunteers.
"As long as chimpanzees are used in medical research, it is our responsibility to treat them as humanely as possible. Their similarities to humans do not end with their physiology and immune systems. Chimp babies need the same things as their human counterparts: they need to be held, loved, talked to, and played with, to interact with other chimpanzees for play and romping, to have toys and enrichment so that they do not become bored and listless.
"Conditions for most lab chimpanzee have improved over the past several years. But we still have far to go. We must recognize our responsibility for the pain and suffering we have inflicted."
~ Excerpt from: Goodall, Jane. 1990. Through A Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
