Monkeys flown to UK for laboratory tests found ‘injured and terrified’ in blood-soaked plane crates

Monkeys he came to Great Britain for laboratory tests they were so badly injured that their chests were smeared with blood, as the photos suggest.

Long-tailed macaques endured a journey lasting up to 25 hours Mauritius AND Vietnamtransported in tight wooden crates, too small to stand upright.

After quarantine in the Netherlands, the macaques were taken to Brussels airport and then flown Manchester Airport.

Activists who claimed the animals were terrified during the journey described “cruel” conditions and the fact that the UK still conducts experiments on primates.

Long-tailed macaques are the main primate species used in toxicological testing of drugs and chemicals by research organizations for pharmaceutical and chemical companies, as well as by universities. Dogs, pigs and rodents are also used.

Toxicity testing involves placing monkeys in restraints and giving them drugs or chemicals through a tube inserted into their stomachs (tube). Substances can also be injected, often without anesthesia, or inhaled. This can be done daily, and studies show that side effects include vomiting, seizures, internal bleeding and death.

Monkey imports it’s faster and easier than growing them in the UK, say experts.

The photos, which came to light following freedom of information requests filed by the Dutch-Belgian group Animal Rights, have sparked renewed criticism ethics animals included in the research.

Members of the group, who tracked the planes and vans, believe the monkeys were intended for drug makers. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

FOI responses revealed that one animal imported on May 28 developed anal prolapse – a potentially fatal condition.

A checklist compiled by a Belgian animal welfare inspector does not show that any animals were injured, although photos appear to show an injured monkey suffering from the disease.

Another time, blood was noticed in a cage with monkeys transported on April 30, but the injuries were considered minor.

UK Home Office guidance states that under normal circumstances sick or injured animals should not be kept deemed suitable for transport.

Last July, 80 long-tailed macaques were transported in the hold of a plane at a temperature of just 10 degrees Celsius, despite warnings from Flemish officials that such conditions were inappropriate. Officials also noted that the extended loading times in Brussels could cause significant stress for the primates.

In a separate incident, a monkey died on a flight to New York after reportedly having an adverse reaction to sedatives. The animal was among hundreds of animals imported from the Netherlands, France and Spain. More than one monkey in 2021 died on the way to the USA.

Animal rights group Action for Primates described the cases as the “tip of the iceberg”, highlighting that between July 2022 and May 2023, 10 flights from Mauritius and Vietnam delivered macaques to the UK via European airports.

Research confirms that air travel is a major stressor primates. According to Ned Buyukmihci, professor emeritus of veterinary medicine and advisor to Action for Primates, the stress of flight can exacerbate injuries, leading to severe pain, shock and even death.

Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, said: “When transported as cargo, primates are forced to spend many hours in small, individual shipping crates and may have to endure poor ventilation, unfamiliar and loud noise, temperature fluctuations and en route delays as they are transported throughout world.”

Understanding Animal Research, however, argues that experiments involving non-humans have provided many treatments for conditions such as cancer and diabetes, as well as vaccines for humans. It argues that the lives of hundreds of millions of people and animals have been saved or improved as a direct result of animal research.

Spokesperson for the Cheshire Animal Rights Campaign and Animal welfare The party called on Manchester Airport and shareholders to stop importing monkeys.

A spokesman for the airport said that, like other airports, it could not take a position on the import of any cargo, adding: “There are clear regulations set by the Government which set out what can and cannot be brought into the UK as cargo, and the operation of the port aviation regardless of these provisions would be inappropriate.”

The Belgian government stated: “In our opinion there was no failure. “The situation was assessed and the action that seemed best for the animals was taken.”

They said the injured monkeys were otherwise in good condition and added: “It was decided that, given the short transport time, it was better to allow the animals to travel.”

They added that no further problems were identified upon arrival and the inspector reminded workers to avoid low temperatures in the future.

A separate freedom of information request found that 2,118 primates were imported last year, and UK government statistics show that 2,169 procedures were performed on primates.

Although they are not believed to have adopted the monkeys in the latest incident, some of the leading ones institutions conducting research on animals include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the Francis Crick Institute, the University of Edinburgh, UCL, the Medical Research Council and Imperial College London.

A spokesman for the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency said: ‘It is depressing to hear of reports of animals in distress; We always take reports of violations of animal welfare laws very seriously and investigate the exact details of the case.

“When animals are transported, it is the responsibility of the veterinarian in the country of origin to decide whether the animal being inspected is suitable for travel.”