Retired chimpanzees
Researchers will abandon chimpanzees
ABC MagazineWorking Group of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The United States, which controls the participation of chimpanzees in research, announced its decision to significantly reduce the number of biomedical and psychological studies involving these monkeys. The NIH intends to "retire" approximately 700 chimpanzees and make sure that those monkeys whose research will be continued live in appropriate conditions.
The 84-page report of the working group (Council of Councils Working Group on the Use of Chimpanzees in NIH-Supported Research – Report) was a response to the report of the Institute of Medicine (Institute of Medicine), published in December 2011. It reported that most of the research conducted on chimpanzees is not necessary. The new report published specific criteria that must now be met by a study that involves the participation of chimpanzees. For example, it cannot be performed on humans for ethical reasons, or other laboratory animals are not suitable for work according to their physiology. At the same time, chimpanzees should be kept in excellent conditions – to live in enclosures with an area of at least 1,000 square feet in the company of at least 6 other monkeys.
After reviewing 22 ongoing studies involving chimpanzees funded by the NIH, the working group decided to terminate half of them. Among them – 6 out of 9 biomedical studies involving 81-93 monkeys. Three studies will continue; all of them are related to the study of infectious diseases and immunity. It was also decided to terminate 5 out of 13 studies of the genome and behavior of chimpanzees, in which about 300 animals participated. It is noted that scientists are invited to conduct research on the behavior of monkeys in zoos and nature reserves. According to the working group's plan, in the next 5 years, the number of chimpanzees owned or sponsored by the NIH should be reduced from 670 to 50.
The entire NIH Board of Advisors voted unanimously to approve the new report. Now the 60-day period of collecting comments on the text of the report begins, after which the resolutions specified in it can enter into force. It is expected that this will happen in early March.
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