Chimpanzees still suffer in research labs
November 8th, 2006 by admin
Last Sunday, the PBS program, “Nature” opened its new season with a powerful documentary, “Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History.”
The film told the sad history of the use of chimpanzees in medical research and entertainment in America, and profiled a few wonderful sanctuaries that are trying to give these amazing animals a dignified “retirement.”
If you missed Sunday’s program, and even if you did catch it, you should visit the Nature website: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/chimpanzees/. At the site, you can watch a short introduction to the documentary, read interviews and find pages of resources where you can learn more about chimpanzees.
Please thank PBS for airing the program. Click here to submit comments through their website.
The filmmaker Allison Argo told the Associated Press that she tried to include the researcher’s point-of-view, but she couldn’t find anybody willing to speak with her. This is not surprising. Opposition to the use of great apes in invasive research is widespread, even in the scientific community. The United States is one of the few remaining countries in the world where chimpanzees are used in biomedical research.
If you’re wondering who could possibly continue to use chimpanzees in research, unfortunately you don’t need to look very far. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute, which is constructing a new facility in Palm Beach County, continue to participate in experiments involving chimpanzees. Dr. Francis Chisari, Head of Scripps’ Division of Experimental Pathology, has been infecting chimpanzees with the hepatitis B and C viruses since at least 1973.
Please join us in urging The Scripps Research Institute to commit not to conduct or participate in research that involves the use of chimpanzees or other great apes, in Florida or elsewhere. Send a message to Scripps through their website: www.scripps.edu/contact.
Click here to learn more about Scripps’ use of chimpanzees.