From FOIA to Freedom: FDA retires monkeys to Florida sanctuary
Earlier this year, following a national WCW campaign, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration canceled nicotine addiction testing on monkeys and committed to sending the primates to an accredited sanctuary. Now, as reported in a feature by CNN, the monkeys have reached their retirement home in Florida at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary. This is the first time the FDA has ever retired primates to a sanctuary.
CNN tells the story about how the 26 male squirrel monkeys–including Larry, Gregory, Bob, Smokey, Moby, and Oak–went from the FDA’s $5.5 million smoking studies to the Sunshine State where they’ll spend the rest of their lives breathing fresh air, swinging in trees, foraging for food and being wild. The segment explains how WCW first discovered and exposed the project and successfully fought to end it with Dr. Jane Goodall and others.
Squirrel monkeys that were once in a nicotine addiction study by the US Food and Drug Administration have arrived at their new home: an animal sanctuary in Gainesville, Florida https://t.co/YeKQeFC2dM pic.twitter.com/lys6SZFqfO
— CNN (@CNN) December 4, 2018
Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Brendan Boyle (D-PA)–who are now pushing FDA to end all of its primate testing along with Rep. Brendan Boyle–praised the move, as did other lawmakers involved in the effort:
Kudos to @SGottliebFDA & the @US_FDA for showing a real commitment to reducing wasteful & cruel animal testing by canceling nicotine addiction experiments on squirrel monkeys & giving them the home they deserve at a sanctuary. https://t.co/ZvStEc1oTS
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) December 4, 2018
The @US_FDA is setting an example for all other federal agencies by ending questionable monkey tests and retiring the primates to a sanctuary. In the new Congress, I’ll continue my bipartisan work to curb outdated animal tests and retire lab animals https://t.co/Io4hDYOt14
— Rep. Brendan Boyle (@CongBoyle) December 12, 2018
I’ve been working with colleagues to retire monkeys and other animals from government labs, and am pleased that the @US_FDA has released lab monkeys to a sanctuary. https://t.co/IkVUwBVgug
— Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (@RepRoybalAllard) December 7, 2018
Last year, I spoke out against the FDA’s wasteful nicotine testing on monkeys. I’m pleased that the @US_FDA and @SGottliebFDA ended the unnecessary tax payer-funded experiments & retired the monkeys to a sanctuary. You can read an update about them here: https://t.co/mpvpTxtHwp
— Ken Calvert (@KenCalvert) December 6, 2018
Join our effort to get more primates out of government labs! Take a moment to write your Congress members and urge them to cut funding for all painful primate testing at the FDA and other federal agencies.
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A strong thank you to all the congressmen that have been making an effort to put an end to animal testing. The testing practices are horrendous, painful, and uncalled for. It would also be nice to put an end to trophy hunting. We don’t need to kill animals to prove that we are great. It has been proven time and again that many people who kill animals for the fun of it have psychological issues. I thank you for reading my comment.
Respectfully,
Suzan Woychuk
I am Overjoyed to see that these babies are going to live their life in peace. But much more has to be done we do not need to test on animals for anything for any time
I may have missed it, but How is the health of these beautiful and innocent beings? And yes I am glad to know that these beautiful beings are in a MUCH more “suitable” place….
Stop animal cruelty