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LIFE STORIES
These are life stories of primates held in U.S. primate laboratories. They are based on documents obtained from the labs.
YNPRC
Dover Chimpanzee
Sellers Chimpanzee
3566 Rhesus Macaque
PWc2 Rhesus Macaque
Unknown Rhesus Macaque
ONPRC
13481 Rhesus Macaque
14326 Rhesus Macaque
20213 Rhesus Macaque
20229 Rhesus Macaque D
20233 Rhesus Macaque
20247 Rhesus Macaque
20253 Rhesus Macaque
20346 Rhesus Macaque
CNPRC
23993 Squirrel Monkey
23915 Crab-eating Macaque
23954 Rhesus Macaque
25142 Crab-eating Macaque
24974 Rhesus Macaque
24013 Squirrel Monkey
25157 Crab-eating Macaque
25205 Crab-eating Macaque
25274 Rhesus Macaque
25412 Crab-eating Macaque
27276 Crab-eating Macaque
28100 Crab-eating Macaque
28114 Crab-eating Macaque
30914 Rhesus Macaque
30916 Rhesus Macaque
30983 Rhesus Macaque
31031 Rhesus Macaque
WNPRC
cj0233 Common Marmoset
cj0453 Common Marmoset D
cj0495 Common Marmoset
Piotr Rhesus Macaque
rhaf72 Rhesus Macaque
rhao45 Rhesus Macaque
Rh1890 Rhesus Macaque
R80180 Rhesus Macaque
R87083 Rhesus Macaque
R89124 Rhesus Macaque
R89163 Rhesus Macaque
R90128 Rhesus Macaque
R91040 Rhesus Macaque
R93014 Rhesus Macaque
R95054 Rhesus Macaque D
R95065 Rhesus Macaque D
R95076 Rhesus Macaque D
R96108 Rhesus Macaque
R97041 Rhesus Macaque
R97082 Rhesus Macaque
R95100 Rhesus Macaque
S93052 Rhesus Macaque
Response from Jordana Lenon, public relations manager for WNPRC.
WANPRC
A03068 Rhesus Macaque
A98056 Pig-tailed Macaque
A92025 Baboon
F91396 Pig-tailed Macaque D
J90153 Pig-tailed Macaque
J90266 Pig-tailed Macaque
J90299 Crab-eating Macaque
J91076 Pig-tailed Macaque D
J91386 Pig-tailed Macaque D
J91398 Pig-tailed Macaque D
J92068 Pig-tailed Macaque
J92349 Pig-tailed Macaque D
J92476 Pig-tailed Macaque
UCLA
censored Vervet
censored Vervet
censored Vervet
UTAH
MCY24525 Crab-eating Macaque
MCY24540 Crab-eating Macaque
OIPM-007 Crab-eating Macaque
UNC-Chapel Hill
3710 Squirrel Monkey
APF
Ashley Chimpanzee
Karla Chimpanzee
Tyson Chimpanzee
Snoy Chimpanzee
Maurice p1 Maurice p2 Chimpanzee
Hercules Chimpanzee
Jerome Chimpanzee
Ritchie Chimpanzee
Rex Chimpanzee
Topsey Chimpanzee
B.G. Chimpanzee
Dawn Chimpanzee
BamBam Chimpanzee
Dixie Chimpanzee
Ginger Chimpanzee
Kelly Chimpanzee
Lennie Chimpanzee
Kist Chimpanzee
Peg Chimpanzee
Aaron Chimpanzee
Chuck Chimpanzee
James Chimpanzee
Alex Chimpanzee
Muna Chimpanzee
Wally Chimpanzee
#1028 Chimpanzee
Lippy Chimpanzee
#1303 Chimpanzee
#CA0127 Chimpanzee
Shane Chimpanzee
The University of Minnesota
#00FP8 Long-Tailed Macaque
#312E Rhesus Macaque
#9711B Rhesus Macaque
#99IP61 Long-tailed Macaque
The Fauna Foundation
The Fauna Foundation Chimpanzees
Center for Biologics Evaluation
Univ. of Alabama - Birmingham

 

RESPONSE FROM CRPRC

MCY23915 Crab-eating Macaque

MCY23915

In Memory of No. 23915,

As I read the laboratory notes, I desperately try to imagine what you must have felt for those twelve years you were trapped inside the cages at the California Regional Primate Research Center. But it is difficult to put myself there for even a few seconds; we humans have such terrible shortcomings. Tears well up in my eyes, but they will never be enough to give back what we took from you. I can only apologize for our tremendous sins against you and all the other animals who continue to be held in research facilities on this earth.

My deepest wish is that this insanity will end soon and that we will one day meet. I will NEVER forget you.

Bonnie



MCY23915

This was the number tattooed on the monkey who died on June 7, 2000 at the NIH California Regional Primate Research Center (CRPRC), at the University of California, Davis.

The cause was listed on the CRPRC Necropsy Report as “Spontaneous Death.” Pneumonia was offered as a possible cause. He was nineteen years, five months old when he died according to this document; his records do not state a date of birth.

The first CRPRC record of MCY23915 was made on January 26, 1988 when he was received and placed in quarantine. According to the records, he was shivering. Assuming that the CRPRC records are generally accurate, he must have been about eight years old. We do not know where he came from or the circumstances of his first eight years, but he was treated for malaria seven months after he arrived in Davis, so we imagine that he had been living in some tropical region.

The MCY part of MCY23915’s tattoo refers to “Macaca cynomolgus,” the archaic name given to Macaca fascicularis within the primate vivisection industry. The accepted common names for this species are Lion-tailed, or Crab-eating Macaque. These monkeys normally have a life span of nearly forty years. They live in groups ranging from ten to a hundred monkeys. They forage for fruit, the majority of their diet, as well as other plant matter. These macaques are common in mangrove swamps in Southeast Asia and catch crabs and other invertebrates exposed during low tide. Crab-eating macaques, like all macaques, are intensely social and very intelligent.

Captive Macaca fascicularis are maintained at a few large holding facilities in Indonesia and on the island nation of Mauritius off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean. At these large facilities, monkeys living on islands are provisioned with food and allowed to breed un-checked. Their lives are probably similar to the lives of free monkeys. Animals are periodically “harvested” for sale to labs around the world. It is likely that MCY23915 was born and grew up at such a facility. His transportation and three-month-long quarantine at CRPRC, was probably the first time he had been isolated from other monkeys. Isolation is a known and industry-wide accepted cause of distress in macaques. Isolation is a known cause of self-mutilation.

Once out of quarantine, MCY23915’s upper canine teeth were “cut” and a “pulpotomy” performed. His lower canines were “blunted.”

Such procedures are common in the monkey labs. These animals’ only protective device is their teeth. In the close and unnatural lab conditions, monkeys housed together are unable to escape from dominant more aggressive animals. The labs’ answer is to remove or dull the monkeys’ teeth. Doing so also protects lab workers from monkeys attempting to defend themselves from them.

On August 8, 1988, a collar was placed on MCY23915, but no reason for doing so was noted. Collars are frequently employed with animals that are handled routinely. Collars allow a worker to affix a pole to a monkey and move him or her while, at the same time, keeping the monkey at a safe distance.

On January 13, 1989, the collar was removed. The record notes: “Collar removed. No work order.”

On December 18, 1989, MCY23915 was collared again, and then, on January 9, 1990, he was strapped into a restraint chair and had his penis shocked in an effort to gather semen. The laboratory jargon for this is: electroejaculation.

In 1992, MCY23915 was injected with levonorgestrel, a hormone, on three occasions over a four-month period. Levonorgestrel is commonly used as a “morning after” contraceptive for women and used in implants for long-term contraception. It has been tested as a contraceptive in men since at least 1980. The rationale for injecting it into monkeys, even with much human-derived data available, remains to be seen.

During the twelve years that MCY23915 was held at the NIH California Regional Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis, he was:

Chemically restrained at least 43 times with ketamine.

[According to the NIH National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA): “Use of Special K [ketamine] can result in profound physical and mental problems including delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function and potentially fatal respiratory problems.”]

Moved from cage to cage at least seventeen times.

[As monkeys are moved from cage to cage, they can be forced into new social relationships. This is a common and known cause of a reduced resistance to disease. Such moves also disrupt existing healthful social relationships. Familiarity with an environment, or home cage, is recognized as beneficial and less stressful to monkeys in labs than is frequent disruption of the limited security offered by familiar surroundings.]

“Bled” at least 122 times.

[During some weeks, he was bled every day. We know from whistleblowers at similar NIH facilities, that technicians often feel hurried and under pressure to get all the animals processed during a typical day. MCY23915 may have been in the typical “squeeze-back” cage. When a technician came to take blood, the back wall of the cage was cranked toward the front pinning MCY23915 to the cage wall. Repeated attempts to draw blood appear to be common within such facilities.]

MCY23915 was reported to have a poor appetite on a number of occasions during the time that most of the blood draws were taking place, but no one could find the cause. On November 14, 1995, an entry in his record states: “Consider bloodwork. No bloodwork since October 93!” (sic)

He was reported to be very aggressive. No one could figure out why he was not a good breeder.



MCY23915’s story would not have been told without the diligence and concern of his advocate, Bonnie Redding. Ms. Redding wrote multiple letters and demanded to know the truth about MCY23915’s life. CRPRC offered no justification for his repeated harassment or demolished life.

We extend our sincerest thanks to Ms. Redding.

MCY23915, rest in peace.


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