U.S. Laboratories CLOSED or No Longer Using Chimpanzees in Research*
| Laboratory | Holloman Air Force Base | New York University’s Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) | Coulston Foundation | Buckshire Corporation | Ohio State University Chimpanzee Center | Primate Foundation of Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Closed (C) or Chimpanzee Use Ended | 1996 | 1997 (C) | 2002 (C) | 2005 | 2006 | 2010 (C) |
| Number of Chimpanzees Affected | 141 | 225 | 553 | Approx. 20 | 9 | 73 |
| Number of Chimpanzees Sent to Other Laboratories | 90 | 116 | 287 | Unknown | None | 73 |
| Number of Chimpanzees Sent to Sanctuary | 51 | 109 | 266 | 12 in 2005 7 in 2008 |
7 (2 died in transport) | 0 |
* Information from NEAVS and the HSUS.
In addition to these labs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reportedly closed their facility and transferred their chimpanzees to the New Iberia Research Center in 2009. That same year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also reported there were “no programs in the…FDA that use or house chimpanzees…” The current location of their chimpanzees however is unknown.
Dismantling any industry embedded in profit, status, and power is never easy. It happens one step at a time even if that industry is technologically outdated and ethically questionable. Animal research in the U.S. is such an industry. The closure of the U.S. laboratories listed below, particularly the LEMSIP and Coulston labs that housed hundreds of chimpanzees, are milestones on route to the eventual end in the use of all animals in all labs. Chimpanzees rescued from research and breeding facilities who now reside in sanctuaries are, through the voices of those who care for them, telling us their stories – stories that turn the public and policy makers’ attention on the roughly 1,000 chimpanzees remaining in U.S. labs.
Please click on the links below for more information about each individual lab:
