The investigation has sparked debate in the US, with some calling for Great Ape Protection Act, which would prohibit invasive research on these primates, to be pushed through the House and the Senate.
Prompted by the 108 page complaint his office received, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has reacted, promising a thorough investigation into the welfare practices of the New Iberia Research Center in Louisiana, US.
If the allegations are found to be true Vilsack has said those responsible will be “help fully accountable” but the research centre believes it is operating within the law.
In a press statement it said: “Nothing in the videos alter the fact that the New Iberia Research Center is in compliance with all federal standards and guidelines regarding the care and use of animals, as determined by the US Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control.”
The video, which was recorded by the Human Society of the United States (HSUS) during a nine month investigation, shows apes appearing to wound themselves and falling from ledges after being sedated.
Iberia says the video distorts standard procedures and incorrectly implies mistreatment but Jane Goodall, a chimpanzee expert, believes that out of the ordinary actions are revealed, saying: “In no lab I have visited have I seen so many chimpanzees exhibit such intense fear.”
Whether the procedures are illegal should be established by the government investigation but regardless of the outcome the video has raised the issue’s profile, with some feeling that if it shows legal practices then the law is wrong.
However, the centre has pointed out the benefits that research on non-human primates can bring, including advances in the treatment of hepatitis A, B and C and potential improvements to cancer therapies in the future.
This assertion may be weakened though if another of the investigations claims is found to be true. Despite housing around 6,000 monkeys and 325 chimpanzees the investigation claims it only witnessed 20 chimps being used in active research.
The remainder “appeared to be warehoused or used for breeding” and include a chimpanzee that has been at the facility since 1958. In addition to the ethical concerns the HSUS believes that this storage of apes represents a waste of millions of tax dollars.
Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the HSUS, said: “These experiments come at an enormous short-term and long-term expense to taxpayers, and an even greater expense in suffering and anguish to chimpanzees and other primates forced to live in this pitiful laboratory.”
The video can be viewed here.