DONATE
 

Victory! Last 50 Chimpanzees To Be Freed From NIH ‘Research Colony’

Victory! Last 50 Chimpanzees To Be Freed From NIH ‘Research Colony’

It has been a long time in coming, and we are thrilled to report that at long last, ALL the chimpanzees “owned” by the NIH are being retired and sent to sanctuaries according to an announcement today.

NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins said, “It is time to acknowledge that there is no further justification for the 50 chimpanzees to continue to be kept available for invasive biomedical research.” We couldn’t agree more!

It was a bittersweet victory two years ago when roughly 310 chimpanzees were sent to sanctuary, but 50 were held back in reserve and not allowed to follow their friends and family. Now, all are free from harm as the NIH’s chimpanzee program has ended!

Thank you so much to everyone who spoke out on this, and dedicated IDA supporters who mailed postcards to the NIH Director, Dr. Francis S. Collins, demanding this very outcome in February of 2013 as part of our Not One Chimp Left Behind! campaign.

Retiring these chimpanzees makes sense ethically and for practical reasons as well. These 50 remaining individuals would only have been used in extremely rare circumstances. Earlier this year, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) gave chimpanzees trapped in research facilities endangered species status.

Please sign up for IDA alerts now to speak out for other animals in need here.

Also, consider making a donation to ensure that IDA can continue to be a strong voice for all animals.

To read more, click here.

DONATE