University of Wisconsin Primate Deaths Discovered
by USDA
When internal documents revealed that Dr. Ei Terasawa
had left monkeys unattended while undergoing a "push-pull
perfusion" experiment
on their brains, and that one of the monkeys had died while researchers
were taking a lunch break, the University of Wisconsin claimed
that the incident was evidence that their system of oversight was
working well. Newly discovered documents call this claim into question.
University oversight committee meeting minutes reveal that the
Terasawa situation was discovered during an inspection by the United
Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) rather than the university’s
own oversight system.
This revelation undermines any notion that the university is able
to self-monitor itself,” noted Rick Bogle of the Primate
Freedom Project. "If the USDA inspectors had not discovered
the situation, the university would still be defending Terasawa’s
research as humane."
In a related document, a letter from Dr. Terasawa to the committee,
she argues that the monkey who died was elderly. She argues that
the committee is really at fault since it made a rule that lab personnel
cannot eat their lunch in an animal procedure room. Her letter explains
that the monkeys were experimented on for hours on end and that her
assistants needed occasional breaks.
"The university has lied to the public twice now about this
incident," said Bogle. First they kept the situation hidden,
a situation they now refer to as being the most extreme sanction
they have taken against a senior scientist, and then again, with
the claim that the situation proves that their oversight system is
working. There is no reason to ever believe anything they might say
about their animal experimentation program.”
Both documents are available on the Primate Freedom Project website: www.primatefreedom.com
Committee minutes:
www.primatefreedom.com/terasawadiscovery.pdf
Terasawa’s explanation:
www.primatefreedom.com//terasawaexcuse.pdf
Last year, the university was forced
to admit that three marmoset monkeys were killed after being “overlooked” when
their cage was blasted with boiling-hot disinfectant. University spin-doctors
neglected to mention that such problems have occurred in the past.
The documents posted to the PFP web site suggest that the university has kept
other more hideous instances of negligence hidden from the public. “Every time we dig a little deeper, we find more rot, more stench. It’s
terrible. The facility should be closed. People who go to work everyday and get
paid to hurt animals cannot be trusted to treat them with compassion, let alone
respect. To the scientists at the primate center, these animals, whose minds
are much like our own, are nothing more than a means to procuring more public
tax monies. No wonder they are terrorized at the prospect of a public display
right next door.” said Bogle. "Yerkes has no accountability to the public since the public is not a good
judge of medical research or the humane treatment of animals," Cathy
Yarbrough, former Information services Manager and Assistant to the Director
of Yerkes.
Primate Freedom Project
PrimateFreedom.com
Contact: Jean Barnes 770-719-5348 or Rick Bogle 608-222-2348
