Information on Primates, UCLA Research

Internal records from the University of California (Los Angeles) clearly show that primates at this facility are suffering from serious illnesses ranging from parasitic infestations to major bacterial infections. Most often the bacterial conditions are the direct result of highly invasive experiments performed at UCLA. The practice of experimenting on animals that are suffering from serious pathological conditions places serious doubts on the scientific validity of any procedures in which they are involved.

Serious concerns exist regarding the adequacy of the anesthesia used in several of the experiments. Specifically one experiment paralyzes primates for up to 120 consecutive hours.

Additionally the stress of confinement has apparently caused at least one primate to engage in self-injurious behavior. This is not uncommon in laboratories that confine primates to small indoor enclosures. This high level of stress also substantially alters the physiology of the animals so confined such that they would not accurately represent even members of their own species. Clearly they will provide no information that is generalizable to humans.

These experiments are part of the most duplicated area of primate research currently funded by the federal government. Over 175 separate grants support neural information processing experiments in macaque monkeys. With the average grant amount form the National Institutes of Health (the funding agency for these experiments) reaching over $400,000 the potential for waste is staggering.

When all aspects of this issue are taken into account: the poor health of the animals, the stress to which they are subjected, the potential inadequacy of the anesthesia for the procedures in which they are used, and the excessively duplicative nature of these experiments, it becomes clear that this is not science. Therefore, the only realistic motivation for the continued performance of these experiments must be monetary.

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