She had escaped from her cage, leaving behind a life of imprisonment and suffering, not just physical. A rhesus macaque escaped last Saturday from the laboratory of the New Iberia Research Center (Nirc) in Lafayette, Louisiana
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himShe had escaped from her cage, leaving behind a life of imprisonment and suffering, not just physical. A rhesus macaque escaped last Saturday from the laboratory at the New Iberia Research Center (Nirc) in Lafayette, Louisiana.
His escape did not last long. In fact, the animal was found the next day, sighted in a wood in the city of New Iberia, about 50 km south-east of Lafayette.
To confirm the discovery was the same New Iberia Research Center which is part of the University of Louisiana. The animal had been spotted by a citizen, Kurt Babineaux, who contacted the numbers provided by the research center:
“The young Rhesus macaque monkey was found and returned to the New Iberia Research Center. She has confirmed that she is in good health after a thorough veterinary examination. The NIRC will keep her under veterinary observation for a few days before returning her to her social group ”.
Before the discovery, the research center had made it known that the animal was part of a "breeding group" and did not have "any communicable disease". However, citizens were advised not to approach the creature because even though it was born at the center, "it was not a pet."
The NIRC is the largest primate testing laboratory in the nation. It is home to over 6.000, one of the largest captive chimpanzee populations in the world. It is a public facility and its research includes contract work for pharmaceutical companies and hepatitis studies. It also receives millions in public funding.
The research center has often come under fire from animal welfare organizations for allegedly mistreating its chimpanzee population. In 2009, the Humane Society accused staff of physically abusing animals. A video investigation with a hidden camera made it possible to film the conditions in which the primates found themselves.
Sedated chimpanzees, swinging on themselves, then falling stunned to the floor, monkeys hit in the mouth and head. A former NIRC member has reported to ABC News that he "saw rats and mice treated better".
It is possible that the monkey who fled last Saturday suffered from depression. Locked up in a cage, treated as an object, without any escape route or the possibility of living as Nature had foreseen. It is to be expected that sooner or later these animals will try to escape.
Jane Goodall, one of the most famous primatologists in the world, has explained: “Today we know that monkeys, along with many other animals, not only experience pain, but also emotions including fear and depression. It is my opinion that those involved in this type of primate research should consider using alternative procedures that do not involve experimenting with intelligent, sentient beings. This research should be eliminated as soon as possible. "
The macaque weekend getaway comes amid growing anger over the "shocking and inhuman" treatment of the monkeys used in the research.
Non-animal alternatives exist and are equally valid. No more primates kept in cages like slaves!
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Francesca Mancuso
Photo: Kurt Babineaux
