In Defense Of Animals Assists In Rescue Of 55 Monkeys From New Jersey Research Lab

Organization coordinates 1,700-mile journey to freedom

Oxford, N.J. (July 15, 2010) – In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection and rescue organization, along with several other groups has rescued 118 beagles and 55 long-tailed macaque monkeys from an insolvent toxicology laboratory in Oxford, New Jersey. The beagles were transported from the lab to shelters two weeks ago. Today, IDA will take the monkeys to their new homes at four primate sanctuaries in Oklahoma and Texas. IDA assisted in facilitating the final agreements and coordinated their 1,700-mile journey, which will utilize a specialized animal transport service.

Video and photos of the rescue and B-roll footage of monkeys in laboratories available upon request.

“Rescuing these young macaques from a miserable lifetime locked in a lab furthers In Defense of Animals’ mission in protecting the rights, welfare and habitat of animals,” said IDA president Scotlund Haisley. “These young monkeys would have been subjected to decades behind bars in cramped stainless steel cages, forced to endure painful toxicology tests. Now they will have a life filled with fresh air, friends, and freedom from harm.”

This lab had been repeatedly cited by the USDA for Animal Welfare Act violations and had a license to sell animals. If not for today’s rescue, these monkeys could very well have ended up in other labs that routinely perform extremely invasive or terminal experiments on long-tailed macaques. Published articles from 2010 describe experimentation ranging from brain lesions, invasive brain studies of auditory, motor and visual cortex, Ebola virus, stroke, plague and drug-induced seizures. These intelligent, social nonhuman primates suffer when imprisoned for decades in stark lab environments. Monkeys often display clinical signs of depression and abnormal behavior including hair pulling, stereotypic circling and pacing, and even self mutilation.

The rescue was initiated by New York-based activist Camille Hankins, following an anonymous tip from a former animal caregiver at the recently closed lab.  After negotiations with the company hired to liquidate the “assets” of the lab, a proposal to release the animals was accepted, with the crucial assistance of IDA pro bono attorney Kathryn Flood of the law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney. Several animal shelters and sanctuaries stepped up to save the monkeys and the beagles from the lab. IDA also helped coordinate the rescue of some of the beagles.

For years, IDA has exposed and halted invasive experiments on nonhuman primates. After an eight-year campaign, IDA forced the insolvency of the Coulston Foundation primate testing lab. As a result, over 300 nonhuman primates were permanently retired: 266 chimpanzees by Save the Chimps, and 61 long-tailed macaques by one of the sanctuaries involved in this current rescue, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation. IDA stopped crack cocaine experiments on monkeys conducted at New York University and has obtained tens of thousands of pages of primate laboratory records after winning multiple open records lawsuits.

According to the USDA, between 2007 and 2009, primate experimentation increased significantly.

“We are proud to have played this significant role in helping to rescue these monkeys and beagles from the horrors of the lab,” concluded Haisley. “These are the lucky ones. We are inspired to renew our commitment to end the institutionalized abuse that is animal experimentation.”

The Texas sanctuaries Born Free USA, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Primarily Primates, and the Oklahoma sanctuary Mindy’s Memory will receive the monkeys and begin introducing them to one another in their new homes.

For more information, visit www.idausa.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Matt Rossell, 530-890-5151, matt@idausa.org