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Group Says UC Davis Monkey 'Died With Bungee Cord Wrapped Around Neck' at Research Center
A statement from UC Davis said, "animals housed at the California National Primate Research Center receive the best veterinary care, and the research program is strictly regulated by law."
We received an "urgent news advisory" Thursday from a group called Stop Animal Exploitation Now, with a subject line that read: "Protest Thursday at UC Davis After Monkey Found Dead Hanging by Bungee Cord."
They presented the issue with the following: "Internal records released this week on a public website reveal new, shocking incidents of abuse and negligence within the UC Davis California Regional Primate Research Center – leading to an official federal complaint asking for sanctions by a national research watchdog organization."
The email discussed a monkey that was found dead hanging from a bungee cord, and another that was "not noticed until the carcass was found infested with maggots."
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A spokesperson for UC Davis said a small protest did indeed occur Thursday, with about "a dozen people holding up banners." It started around 11:15 a.m. and was over by 1 p.m., according to the spokesperson. UC Davis provided the following statement in regard to the situation:
"Our research includes HIV/AIDS, asthma and other lung diseases, autism and Alzheimer's disease. For example, the Center helped test tenofovir, a treatment for AIDS. Tenofovir is an ingredient in Truvada, just approved by the FDA as the first pill to prevent HIV infection. Animals housed at the California National Primate Research Center receive the best veterinary care, and the research program is strictly regulated by law. The faculty and staff who work with animals are committed to high quality care and animal welfare."
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Here's the remainder of the release we received from Stop Animal Exploitation Now:
In the documents released "WikiLeaks-style" by national research watchdog SAEN, post mortems and veterinary records for primates at CRPRC show one monkey died with a Bungee cord wrapped around her neck, and another dead primate was not noticed until the carcass was found infested with maggots.
The documents also disclose more than a dozen animals were engaging in self-destructive behavior, and several were killed by UC Davis.
The shocking incidents at UC Davis have prompted Stop Animal Exploitation NOW (SAEN) to request a federal investigation. A complaint has been filed with the Western Regional Office of the USDA’s Animal Care division. The complaint insists on serious penalties.
“If the staff of the UC Davis Primate Center does not notice that a primate is dead until the body is ‘autolyzed and infested with maggots,’ then something is severely wrong,” said Michael A. Budkie, A.H.T., Executive Director SAEN. “And if that wasn’t bad enough, another dead monkey was found after being hung by a bungee cord. Is anyone paying attention?”
In line with organizations like WikiLeaks, SAEN is making approximately 3,000 pages of UC Davis internal records available to the public.
“U.S. taxpayers have a right to know what happens in labs like UC Davis,” added Budkie. “After all, they are footing the bill for this negligence.”
With the minimal amount of information we currently have, what's your take on the situation? Feel free to share below.
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