“Nightline” at 11:35 p.m. ET
Category: chimpanzees | Date: Mar 04 2009 | By: lolayabonobo
Tucked into a rural section of Louisiana, a few miles from Lafayette, an unexpected compound springs from the landscape. It is the nation’s largest primate testing lab. The New Iberia Research Center, part of the University of Louisiana, houses more than 6,000 primates and one of the largest captive populations of chimpanzees in the world.
“Nightline” obtained the results of a nine-month undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States. A Humane Society investigator took a hidden camera inside the New Iberia Research Center for most of 2008. The video shows what the Society says is the way monkeys and great apes are treated behind closed doors.
The New Iberia Research Center is a public facility, and its research includes contract work for pharmaceutical companies and hepatitis studies. The lab receives millions in public funding but limited public scrutiny.
“Facilities are very secretive in general,” said the investigator, who asked to remain anonymous because of the investigation. “It’s hard to get a lot of good information out of what really goes on. You rarely see images other than what is kind of posted on the Web sites. Going undercover in a place is the only way you’ll see what’s the truth.”
The Humane Society investigator told ABC News that chimpanzees, often perched several feet off the ground, are shot with sedation guns, with little regard for their safety. The video shows chimps crashing to the floor.
Tags: animal cruelty, chimps in labs, hsus investigation, new iberia research center
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8 Responses to ““Nightline” at 11:35 p.m. ET”
Sherri S., on 04 Mar 2009
I am absolutely appalled by these video clips. I’ll definitely be watching Nightline tonight. I’m one state over from this facility (though for some reason, WordPress won’t let me use my big state’s name) — Does anyone else want to join me in exercising our Constitutional right to protest this abuse in person?
sheryl, washington dc, on 04 Mar 2009
You live in the big state of Tex*s, right? I dunno what’s up with that filter but I’ve encountered it, too.
I watched the clips. It’s horrifying. I can’t stay up to watch the special, but I’ll bet it’ll be available somewhere online tomorrow. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Seriously, after watching the clips, my mind kept screaming WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?
s.
Wanda, on 04 Mar 2009
I WILL WRITING GOV JINDAL AND ALL LOUISIANA POLITICIANS -
I HOPE THE WRATH OF ALL ALL THAT IS HUMANE COMES DOWN ON THEM -
ESPECIALLY SINCE CHIMP HAVEN WHICH I HAVE VISITED IS SO WONDERFUL IN LOUISIANA AND HAS CHIMPS RETIRED FROM LAB RESEARCH — I WILL BE HAPPY TO STIR MR. JINDAL’S WORLD FOR WHAT IS GOING ON IN HIS STATE.
paula, on 04 Mar 2009
Oh My god! Humans are so uncivilized! Thanks for this post.
sheryl, washington dc, on 05 Mar 2009
You can watch last night’s report here: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7011731 It’s a little more than eight minutes long.
s.
Lindsey, on 05 Mar 2009
This needs to come to an end immediately! We absolutely have no choice but to be a voice for those who have no voice. I would like to protest in person, and am in the process of sending complaints to every Louisiana official. I urge everyone out there to do the same.
stevie, on 06 Mar 2009
I live in New Iberia near this facility and I’m also horrified.
I would like to protest in person.
How is a protest arranged? I’ve never had anything this close to me to be able to protest until this came to light.
The video made me sick to my stomach!!
It’s like I want to drive over there and stop them in person. But I can’t go protest alone.
Lynn Markert, on 11 Mar 2009
Hi everyone. I do think we need to contact Louisiana state officials to express our concerns about the New Iberia Research Center. If you go onto the Governor’s office website you can e-mail Governor Jindal directly. Here is what I wrote to him today:
Dear Governor Jindal:
I am writing to you concerning the horrific treatment of chimpanzees at the New Iberia Research Center recently exposed on ABC News. As you may know, this facility is a public facility which receives millions of dollars in public funding. The Humane Society investigated this facility and discovered that the chimpanzees are treated inhumanely and in general with cruelty and disregard for their well being and safety.
This letter is to ask that action be taken against the New Iberia Research Center to stop the horrible treatment to which these innocent animals are being subjected.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
Lynn Markert
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