On July 15, 2010, In Defense of Animals rescued 55 long-tailed macaque monkeys from an insolvent toxicology laboratory in Oxford, New Jersey.
This lab has been repeatedly cited by the USDA for Animal Welfare Act violations and had a license to sell animals. If not for this 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.
“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.”
IDA is transporting the monkeys to their new homes at four primate sanctuaries in Oklahoma and Texas.
source
