Chimpanzee Bill Reaches Congress, Hopes To End Lab Testing

Lab tests have been conducted on innocent Chimpanzees since the 1920’s and now a new ape-testing bill in Congress hopes to end the practice completely.

Speaking to the New York Times Wayne Pacelle, President of the US Humane Society says of the bill:

“This is a very different moment than ever before,” and “Now is the time to get these chimps out of invasive research and out of the labs.”

According to Maryland Republican Representative Roscoe Bartlett who created the bill the testing of ape’s isn’t just a fight on morale grounds the banning of the practice is expected to save taxpayers upwards of $30 million annually.

Considered one of our closest ancestors, genetically speaking, ape testing has helped produce a vaccine for hepatitis B. The director of one San Antonio primate research lab defends the practice, noting:

“It would be grossly unethical not to do research [on Chimpanzees]”

Currently the United States has nearly 1,000 chimpanzees living in research facilities and America is one of just two countries that allow the practice of chimp-testing. In their cages chimps are subjected to injections, blood samples and liver biopsies (done under sedation).

Researchers will have us believe that Chimpanzee testing saves hundreds of thousands of live, do you think the practice of testing various drugs and studying diseases in chimpanzees needs to be stopped or does such testing provide a medical necessity for future medical based developments?

[Image via ShutterStock.com]