Charles River is the subcontractor that the National Institute of Health (NIH) uses for housing Chimpanzees used for experimentation. They say they are "committed to animal welfare." However, their record indicates something very different. The "Federal Primate Facility" at Almogordo, New Mexico is a House of Horrors for many of its occupants.
What are the lives of the Chimpanzees like at this Federal Primate Facility?
Mercedes, for example, suffered a major loss of blood the day she died, a situation that probably was worsened by her chronic hepatitis, her death records say; she also had an enlarged adrenal cortex, "likely due to chronic stress."
For others, their years at the Alamogordo Primate Facility ended more disturbingly. Three died from electrocution, due to faulty wiring at the facility, and two others were the focus of an animal-cruelty case brought by the local prosecutor.
Experimentation on Chimpanzees is the dirty little secret of drug testing and medical device testing. Many of us are vaguely aware that some form of animal testing goes on, but we do not know the details. McClatchy Newspapers studied 10 years of records from the Federal Primate Facility and found out that some of the conditions the Chimps endure are so extreme that animal cruelty charges have been brought by the local prosecutor.
The records detail an animal's entire history, from minor dental procedures to serious illnesses. They show a chimp's final hours or days - and how the facility reacted. The records also reveal new information about the final hours of Rex, who was part of the focus of the animal-cruelty case.
Rex was a 16 year old Chimpanzee who died in 2002. We would never have known the details of his sad death, unless the advocacy group Defense of Animals fought a lengthy legal battle to get the NIH records on the Primate Facility. The records paint a dark picture:
The records "reveal what both Charles River and the NIH never wanted the DA, or a jury, to see: This young chimpanzee was in severe pain when he was awake; that during a physical exam he not only vomited but also spurted clotted blood from his nose; that he was a physical wreck," said Eric Kleiman of In Defense of Animals, an advocacy group that forced open the chimps' medical records after a lengthy legal battle with the NIH. That afternoon, Rex had been sedated for the examination. "He appeared quite painful in recovery room when roused," the records say. "He vomited frequently."
It gets worse.
As he was recovering, a worker stayed by his side. At the end of the day, however, the worker and facility vet left; the "evacuation wand" that had been used to clean up the chimp's vomit was put away. The night maintenance staff was left to watch the animals, a task that one of the night workers told the local prosecutor he wasn't qualified to handle. The worker was told to conduct hourly watches of Rex. He called the vet once, saying Rex was unconscious but breathing and continuing to vomit.
Rex was found dead at 11:30 p.m. with vomit in his mouth and windpipe, according to his death records.
One would think that this would be a clear case of Animal Cruelty or at least Animal Neglect. However, that proved not to be the case. A loophole allowed this to happen without any punishment.
Scot Key, who was then the district attorney, brought the animal-cruelty case based on Rex's death, as well as one other death and one near-death.
The case came down to legal definitions, however: New Mexico had an exemption in animal-cruelty law that said veterinarians couldn't be found guilty if they were engaged in "the practice of veterinary medicine."
As a New Mexico appeals court declared: "We agree that abandoning an animal and negligently mistreating an animal are indeed considered cruelty to animals. However, the Legislature clearly and unambiguously excepted the provisions of the animal cruelty statute from applying to the practice of veterinary medicine."
What does the NIH say about this?
In response to questions about the management of the facility, the NIH said it was satisfied with Charles River's performance. Sally Rockey, an NIH deputy director, said the firm had done a "quite good" job. The NIH visited the facility last year, she said, and U.S. Department of Agriculture inspections haven't found any violations in the past five years. In a statement, Charles River said it had "a deep commitment to animal welfare, and we make every effort to exceed national standards for the care of the animal models under our stewardship."
The bottom line is that what happened to Rex the Chimpanzee was permitted by New Mexico Law. I believe that this is a sad commentary on our society.
To read more about this case and the McClatchy study of the NIH records, see the entire Miami Herald article:
Chimps Endure Horrible Lives
UPDATE: Here is what you can do to stop horrible testing conditions like this diary describes. Here is the link where you can use the "In Defense of Animals" template to send a message to the NIH:
Tell The NIH To Stop Cruel Testing of Chimpanzees