The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a primate problem. No, there aren’t primates running amok on the campus, but there are significant concerns about the ethics of animal research and the treatment of the campus’ over 1,500 primates.
In 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture cited UW-Madison for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including at least 20 incidents of nonhuman primates requiring amputations of body parts such as hands, feet, digits and tongues. The lab got a mere slap on the wrist for inflicting pain and suffering on these monkeys: a $74,000 fine.
Primates, including those in the UW labs, spend their lives enduring invasive experiments and perpetual stress in these unnatural environments. The least we can do for monkeys subjected to this testing is enable them to live out the remainder of their lives in sanctuary.
To date, even with nine primate sanctuaries across the U.S., including one that is an hour away, the UW refuses to send primates to sanctuaries at all. In the past, UW retired primates to what amounted to a roadside zoo. The horrendous care that ensued is a poor excuse for the UW to simply refuse retirement.
But it’s not just animals suffering in the labs. Lab workers are commonly developing post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of witnessing and causing harm to animals — an unfortunate reality inherent in animal research jobs. There are also growing concerns that animal research is failing to produce human-relevant findings and even hindering scientific progress with regard to human health.
Yet UW-Madison and the National Institutes of Health have made an effort to censor former UW primate lab worker and JUSTIFY co-founder Madeline Krasno. As reported by the Washington Post, Krasno’s comments criticizing the two organizations’ animal research practices began to disappear from social media platforms.
As a former lab worker, Krasno knows firsthand what goes on inside these labs and is more than qualified to express her opinion. Moreover, the animal research taking place is government-funded, meaning our tax dollars are supporting this testing. Taxpayers should be able to freely voice their concerns.
Krasno has brought free speech lawsuits against both UW-Madison and the NIH, arguing that conversations about the efficacy and ethics of animal research deserve to publicly take place without viewpoint discrimination. Time will tell how these lawsuits play out and what the future holds for animal research.
In the meantime, Congress allocates on average over $50 billion annually to the NIH. The NIH, in turn, funds primate research labs throughout the U.S., including the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center based in Madison. The center receives support through a $9.65 million base operating grant from the NIH.
If the NIH earmarked just 1% of that money to primate sanctuaries in the U.S., it would allow thousands of primates slated for unnecessary euthanasia to live out their lives in a nurturing environment.
There are many primate researchers nationwide who want to send primates to sanctuaries but are unable to without the financial support of the laboratories themselves. Instead of going to sanctuary, animals are killed — even though these primates have earned the right to retirement. Certainly the NIH can afford to make it happen.
I contacted the office of U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan because the labs are in his district. He is a member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, which aims to build broad coalitions in support of common sense, humane animal welfare laws. I asked for guidance on how to request funding from the NIH to support the retirement of the university’s monkeys.
I also requested that Pocan speak with the university about their refusal to send primates to sanctuary. After a productive conversation with his staff, I felt hopeful that progress was imminent. Unfortunately in the month since, Pocan’s office has gone radio silent, likely because he doesn’t want to rankle the UW.
As much as I support the UW on most matters, I will not hesitate to call them out and continue to urge Pocan to follow through on his commitment to humane animal welfare laws. That should include retiring primates from research when possible. This is as common sense as it gets. As long as research on these animals continues, sanctuary retirement must be granted.
Brian Giles is a dedicated animal and wildlife advocate from Central Wisconsin. He volunteers for numerous wildlife organizations and rescues.
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