By Luke Steele
We all remember the shocking pictures of Malish – a long-tailed macaque who suffered in neurology experiments at the Weizmann Institute. Images of her – bloodied, bruised with electrodes screwed into his brain – were released by Let the Animals Live Israel, sparking an outcry and calls for monkey experiments to be halted.
Some eight years later – in February 2015 – a piece of legislation will be invoked in Israel which will be a symbol of hope for all laboratory monkeys. The law prohibits the trade in primates for experimentation and enforces the closure of the nation’s only macaque breeding centre, Moshav Mazor Farm. In effect, this regulation cuts off the chain of supply for testing centres like the Weizmann Institute and leaves them with little option but to stop using monkeys in experiments.
The most significant point is that this will emancipate many primates from incarceration for cruel experiments – indeed there are already 50 macaques who have been released to a sanctuary. On a global scale, however, this move is groundbreaking. Israel is a prominent research nation, with a proud history of pioneering scientific development. For Israel to say we can alleviate disease without experimenting on monkeys is a vote of confidence in replacement techniques which will ricochet across the global research and development community.
Unfortunately, in the United Kingdom there are many primates like Malish who are suffering a similar fate in the nation’s laboratories. Eminent institutions like Oxford, Cambridge and even state facilities such as the NIBSC continue to inflict misery on our fellow simians as part of outdated experimental projects.
Without a doubt, the British government should follow Israel’s path on protecting these vulnerable primates.
The Anti-Vivisection Coalition (AVC) lead the way in freeing primates incarcerated in UK laboratories. We view ourselves as the lawyers for these animals, speaking for them when they cannot speak for themselves, presenting the case for their release. Through high-profile events and professional protests we gain media coverage to raise awareness of the ordeal faced by the primates. This serves well in increasing political pressure for a resolution to halt the suffering of the laboratory monkeys.
Our actions have resulted in 87 macaques being released from laboratories so far, giving a second chance at life to these individuals. We are confident that soon a time will come when all monkeys are, like those in Israel, free from the torment of laboratories.
Luke Steele is Head of the Anti Vivisection Coalition (AVC), which is based in Leeds. The AVC is an organisation advocating on behalf of animals in laboratories. AVC has, and continues to successfully represent the interests of animals in laboratories through peaceful protests, education, legislative change and strategic campaigns.
You can get in touch with Luke by emailing: [email protected] and you can find out more about the AVC by visiting: stopvivisection.org.uk and following them on Twitter @avc_uk.