DAVIS, Calif. — The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is again calling on UC Davis to shut down its primate research center after the university received new federal animal welfare citations. According to a recent PETA statement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the university for “three violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act, including the escape of three mice, one of whom died, and for locking monkeys in cages far too small.”
The statement came from Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA’s chief science adviser for primate experimentation. Jones-Engel stated, “This is the second time this year that UC Davis has been busted for cramming monkeys into cages even smaller than the minimum federal regulation allows.”
She further stated, “These are large, intelligent animals, yet the university confined them to spaces barely bigger than half of a yoga mat. […] Monkeys kept in tiny cages snap, attacking their own bodies in frustration or lashing out at other monkeys.”
PETA also explained in its statement that “escaped monkeys fought so violently that one lost two fingers” in an incident it revealed the previous month. Jones-Engel added, “UC Davis’ chronic failures make one thing clear: the university should shut down its cruel primate center.”
PETA’s motto reads, “animals are not ours to experiment on.” It adds that “every animal is someone” and offers free “empathy kits” to the public.
The center describes its work differently. The California National Primate Research Center’s Primate Services program says its goal is to “ensure the health and well-being of the nonhuman primate colonies and to operate a centralized program that addresses all aspects of animal husbandry and health care.”
It says “a large staff of veterinarians, veterinary residents and animal health technicians care for the center’s monkeys as well as provide research support.”
The animal care staff of about 100 individuals “feeds the animals, keeps their housing areas clean, monitors them daily, and works to promote the well-being of the animals in their care.”
“Animal care staff, veterinarians, and support staff are on site at the center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round,” the statement reads.
The center also states that “over 95% of our animal care staff have advanced training in animal care techniques and are educated in behavior and enrichment.”
Outdoor staff “feed monkeys twice a day with a nutritionally complete diet of Purina Monkey Chow” and “conduct twice-daily health checks,” the program says.
Staff are reportedly familiar with each animal’s history, personality and relationship with other animals, it states. The program describes “a model environmental enrichment program for the benefit of all animals, indoors and outdoors,” with field corrals that contain “climbing structures, play houses, slides, barrels, tree trunks, and unique enrichment structures built by the CNPRC staff.”
Its staff says they are “constantly researching new ways to increase the quality of life for primates everywhere.”
Neither side shows any sign of backing down. PETA frames the repeated citations as proof that UC Davis cannot keep the animals safe, and it directs the public to the PETA website, offering free resources, as Jones-Engel stated, “for people who need a lesson in kindness.”
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