NAPSA in the News
Featured: Kareen from Project Chimps | Photo by: Fred Rubio
NAPSA is proud to share the collective expertise of its members in national and global news media.
Should Aging Lab Monkeys be Retired to Sanctuaries?
There is surging interest in sending monkeys from research to sanctuaries instead of euthanizing them or transferring them to another project. A growing number of scientists say retirement is the right thing to do for these social, intelligent creatures, and it can be cheaper than keeping the animals in labs.
Creve Coeur Must Prohibit Ownership of Monkeys
A Letter to the Editor from NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury encouraged town officials in Creve Coeur, MO to avoid granting an exemption to a woman claiming her three monkeys are emotional support animals. Erika was also interviewed on St. Louis AM radio station KMOX, though the interview is not available online.
More Research Labs are Retiring Monkeys when Studies Finish
An Associated Press article on the retirement of research monkeys featured NAPSA Program Director Erika Fleury and Amy Kerwin, founder of Transitional NAPSA member Primates Incorporated. Note: We were misquoted regarded the species most common in sanctuaries. The species we mentioned (chimps, capuchins and squirrel monkeys) are most common in NAPSA member sanctuaries, but that is not true for all accredited sanctuaries.
Nine Ex-Research Chimpanzees Retired to Chimp Haven Sanctuary
There are over 200 chimpanzees in medical laboratories across the US, mostly government-owned and awaiting retirement. Chimp Haven, a 200-acre forested sanctuary in Louisiana, has received a new cohort to join the hundreds of chimps already in residence.
How Some U.S. Ape Sanctuaries Fail Their Animals and Staff
Update: This is an archived article. As of July 1, 2018, Chimps Inc is no longer a member of NAPSA. NAPSA is featured in a National Geographic article that highlights the value of accrediting bodies and independent oversight to ensure that sanctuaries continue to have high standards and safety precautions for the human and non-human primates at their facilities. The article points out that the sanctuary movement is fairly new but is growing increasingly professional. NAPSA, in fact, was formed in order to promote such growth and elevated standards, and we continue to make this one of our primary missions. As the article indicates, NAPSA is a membership alliance and does not accredit its members, but instead utilizes independent outside accreditation. If a NAPSA member sanctuary is unable to meet membership accreditation requirements, the alliance responds accordingly. Chimps Inc., mentioned in the article, has had their NAPSA membership placed on hiatus. The sanctuary’s Executive Director and board have continued to make improvements and are working with officials and with NAPSA to resolve complaints and renew their accreditation. Our full statement about Chimps Inc. can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2BgraOu.
Controversial Plan Would Send Lab Chimps to Unaccredited Zoo
A U.S. research center’s plan to ship seven lab chimpanzees to an unaccredited zoo in England is facing a legal challenge that tests the limits of the Endangered Species Act and raises questions about how research animals should be treated when they are retired.
Guest Blog: Will USFWS Give Promised Protections to Captive Chimpanzees?
In 2015 for the first time, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) recognized captive chimpanzees in the USA as belonging to an “endangered” species. Conservationists rejoiced at the promise of extra protection for these apes.
Advocates Seek End to Captive Chimp’s Isolation
An Alabama zoo has held a male chimpanzee in isolation for nearly 17 years in violation of the Endangered Species Act, PETA claims in federal court.
N.I.H. to End Backing for Invasive Research on Chimps
The National Institutes of Health announced that it would end its support for invasive research on chimpanzees and retire the 50 chimps that it had set aside for future biomedical research.
Plan to Export Chimps Tests Law to Protect Species
When the Fish and Wildlife Service decided in June to classify all chimpanzees, captive or wild, as endangered, the ruling meant that any biomedical experiment or export of chimps from the United States, whoever owned them, would be subject to a strict permit process under the Endangered Species Act.
Urgent Action Needed to Help Primates Suffering in Labs Across the U.S.
Of all the animals that capture America’s attention, apes and monkeys have always been on the forefront. They are intelligent, inquisitive, social and innovative. They are so like us … and yet, so different. So different, in fact, that we frequently keep them in solitary cages, away from sunlight and fresh air, with little to stimulate their needy minds, in order to learn more – about ourselves and about them. Living conditions for primates in laboratory research have historically been uncomfortable, unnatural and downright painful and harmful.
Monkeys Used in Medical Research ‘Kept in Neglectful Conditions,’ Say Activists
After succeeding in their quest to overhaul the treatment of chimpanzees used in research, animal rights advocates are turning their attention to other primates: the tens of thousands of monkeys now used in medical research in the United States.