Comments on: After 9 Years Retirement, Lab Chimps May Return to Medical Testing

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:13:06 +0000

It is our right to torture animals so humans can eat Mcdonalds and watch dancing with the stars.

Seriously
he who tortures or uses a animal for ones gain will pay later

By: tiddas

tiddas — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:54:01 +0000

If chimpanzees will be undergoing same shots and biopsies as humans, homo sapiens should organize for their rights to medical research compensation and get these freeloading apes away from our jobs! Yeah, all right, humans are way more important than animals and way better models for this research. Go back where you came from, primate scum!

By: Rhacodactylus

Rhacodactylus — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:47:51 +0000

Ok, it’s fine to make the argument that animal models aren’t worth the costs associated with them, or that there is a higher moral price paid in addition to the actual animal, but the idea that animal models aren’t useful is just propaganda, they are insanely important and useful as a part of the study of disease. The costs might ultimately be too high, but that doesn’t mean they don’t produce results.

I do put human life above animal life, and I always will.

As far as new chimps entering the system or more experiments happening to those that are already there, I think that the decision should be made based on what will benefit the research the most.

Oh and Kirk, i love the guy who hasn’t even finished the one book he’s read on the topic telling me that I refused to do my research. I just have a different value system than you do, and human life will always trump animal life for me. That isn’t to say animals aren’t important and worthy of protection, it’s just that medical science should never suffer because of animal rights. Extra childish with the “your mom” attack . . . how playground of you =)

~Rhaco

By: pat

pat — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 03:56:41 +0000

wow

By: l

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 03:56:14 +0000

sad

By: Jennifer Welsh

Jennifer Welsh — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:42:41 +0000

Hey all,

Thanks for reading and the comments. This is a particularly tough issue and I know everyone has pretty strong feelings about it, so thanks for keeping it civil.

Hopefully as we develop better animal and in vitro models we can continue (the US has already place a memorandums on laboratories breeding more chimps, and their numbers continue to fall as they age, down to about 700 left in the country) to decrease our use for chimps as model organisms.

As it stands now, it seems that the chimp is still needed as a model organisms in some cases, because of their genetic similarity to humans. My question is, considering that researchers are going to do their experiments either way, would you rather see more, new chimps enter the system or additional testing happen to those that are already in the system?

Just a question, I would really like to hear your thoughts.

Jen

By: Katharine

Katharine — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:22:54 +0000

James E, we can use primates less intelligent than apes to do this research. (For a frame of reference about what I think about ape research, I’m a biology student who’s planning to go to graduate school for neurobiology.)

There are severe ethical problems with using species as intelligent as the great apes. In addition, it is significantly more expensive to maintain them for research in controlled conditions than to let them live out the rest of their lives in peace in less controlled conditions more reminiscent of their natural environment.

It’s better to use macaques.

By: James E.

James E. — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:13:29 +0000

@#3
If your argument is that spending money on research that uses apes is a drain on taxpayers, how is paying to build and maintain a sanctuary or sanctuaries not a similar drain? Also you only use one example of research that has not made significant advancement, hepatitis vaccines, for your argument for banning ape research. What about the other medical breakthroughs that have resulted from research using apes?

By: walositoad

walositoad — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:28:24 +0000

There have been no significant advancements in hepatitis vaccines using these animals as models, considering the cruel procedures regularly performed on them and the huge amount of taxpayer dollars used to fund this “research”. Continual painful invasive procedures, such as multiple liver biopsies, multiple “knockdowns”, and long-term single cage confinement for pharma studies, must be stopped. The govt argues that certain “humane parameters” are in place, but these “restrictions” are insufficient at best, and these parameters were not established in the best interest of the animals. This whole aspect of chimpanzee research is a cash cow for scientists at fruitless play with NIH grant funding at the taxpayer’s expense. Not to mention that hundreds of other chimps are just being housed by these labs/facilities while they collect (taxpayer) money from NIH for housing them. Passing the Great Ape Protection Act (S. 3694) to ban ape research would not only eliminate the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars, but would help these animals live the rest of their lives in peaceful retirement. It’s a win-win for everyone–except for those who have no problem with sucking the taxpayers dry. Call your representatives and NIH and let them know what you think.

By: kirk

kirk — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:08:31 +0000

Rhacodactylus Says: “I have not the slightest interest in researching this subject, etc. etc.”

For me, a quick read of Jared Diamond’s “The Third Chimpanzee” (JUST THE FIRST 31 pages) put me on the side of Homo Trog. or Pan Sapien. Put the jumper cable on your mother while your water board her and inject her with HIV.