Animal 2003 was trapped between the squeeze bar and door and died of asphyxiation. A necropsy showed bruising on the legs and lower abdomen from the monkey trying to free himself.
JEFF MCDONALD: A research monkey was found strangled to death at a Sorrento Valley laboratory nearly two years ago, according to a federal complaint announced Wednesday, and the company says the animal may have been killed by his cage mate… The deceased monkey, a cynomolgus macaque known as Animal 2003, was part of an unspecified study…
The federal complaint filed by Stop Animal Exploitation Now accuses the Sorrento Valley lab of providing inadequate veterinary care, engaging in improper animal handling and having unqualified personnel on staff… BTS Research, which uses mice, primates and other animals to conduct a variety of drug and therapy testing, disclosed in an internal September 2018 report that the monkey was found dead inside his cage when staff returned to the lab on a Sunday morning in late August.
“The squeeze forward was activated to full range and the animal was trapped between the squeeze bar and door,” said the report, which was obtained by the animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now and sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture… The “squeeze forward” is a lever that mechanically draws the rear side of a cage nearer to the front so researchers can catch the animal, the laboratory said.
“Necropsy showed bruising on the legs and lower abdomen from trying to free himself, otherwise no significant findings that would have caused death,” added the report, much of which was redacted… The documentation released by Stop Animal Exploitation Now included findings from a USDA inspection report on the incident dated in April 2019…
The BTS Research statement said the complaint to federal regulators is unfounded… The company also downplayed a prior violation issued by USDA inspectors, who previously found improper settings on chairs used to hold the animals during research practices…
The USDA, which among its many duties is responsible for regulating animal testing labs, said it takes all animal complaints seriously. A spokesman declined to respond to specific questions about the case, beyond saying the cause of death is better described as asphyxiation rather than strangulation…
“What are you waiting for?” the group’s co-founder, Michael Budkie, asked the USDA in a press release. “Must more primates be killed or abused before the USDA takes action? The animal advocacy group is urging the USDA to impose the maximum penalty on BTS Research —$10,000 per violation, per animal. SOURCE…
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