Emory University Address: 1440 Clifton road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322 Phone: (404) 727-7428 Number of monkeys reported in 2003: 2792 Click to show vivisectors at this lab.
Emory University is home to one of the eight national primate research centers, Yerkes. Yerkes also has the blightful distinction of being one of only a handful of labs still harming our closest living relatives, chimpanzees. Their long track record of primate experimentation and cruelty led Dr. Jane Goodall and other leading scientists to come out in opposition to their plans to expand their facilities (news article, original Goodall letter). In October 2007, the USDA levied a $15,000 fine against Emory University's Yerkes National Primate Research Center for repeat violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (news article, USDA settlement). The fine was long overdue. Recently, Yerkes has been responsible for many acts of cruelty and negligence, including:
Using duct tape to restrain monkeys.
The death of a 10-year old chimpanzee named Dover. Dover died as a result of improper ventilation, living in a steel box with solid flooring, roof, rear, and sides. Yerkes was fined $1,375 for this. (pdf)
The death of another chimpanzee, Sellers. (Related document: pdf)
The death of a squirrel monkey who was sent through a cage washer.
Yerkes is one of a very few labs in the world that uses mangabey monkeys, an endangered species. You can view a list of mangabey monkeys that have died or been killed at Yerkes here (pdf). The term "sac" is an abbreviation for "sacrificied," which is itself a euphemism for killed or murdered.
Applied to conduct more invasive experiments on sooty mangabeys than are typically allowed by the Endangered Species Act. (pdf)
Yerkes' 2006 USDA Inspection Report shows that a monkey died due to negligence and inadequate training of staff. (pdf)
While some of these fines may seem steep to a layperson, they are nominal to these research institutions. One single research grant brings in somewhere on the order of $300,000 to the institution, annually. The combined sum of wealth coming in to the federal-funded Yerkes National Primate Research Center is somewhere in the tens of millions of dollars. A 2005 audit of the Animal Welfare Act enforcement system, conducted by the USDA's Office of Inspector General, found that "discounted stipulated fines assessed against violators of the AWA are usually minimal...An IES official told us that as a result, violators consider the monetary stipulation as a normal cost of conducting business rather than a deterrent for violating the law." No wonder the cruelty persists from year to year, decade to decade.
Special thanks to Jean Barnes and the Primate Freedom Project for shedding light on the sad lives of the primates trapped at Yerkes.
August 18, 2009
Several news updates on our main page recently. Stay tuned for an extensive update coming by the end of this month with more detailed information on many labs and vivisectors.
Friday July 31, 2009
A new and improved photo & video gallery is now on our site. The new gallery features newer photos at higher res, more photos, and the ability for users to submit comments/questions. If you have any photos we don't, we'd love to add them to our collection. If you have any protest pictures, send those in too, as we're currently working on a "protests" photo collection as well to compliment our "vivisection" collection.
Sunday July 26, 2009
New/updated information for vivisectors in several states: CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, TX, TN, SD, SC, RI.
Monday July 20, 2009 Fact vs. Myth section now up. Stay tuned as we debunk more myths on other topics in the coming weeks and months.
Tuesday July 14, 2009
New/updated information for vivisectors in AL, AZ, UT, VA, WA, WI.
Monday July 13, 2009
New essay, "How Like Us Need They Be?," by Rick Bogle, added to the essays section.
Wednesday July 8, 2009
More information added for Emory University, home to Yerkes National Primate Research Center.
Monday July 6, 2009 Two news articles and commentary posted regarding court settlement entered by USDA that states they must post facility reports of vivisection online for public access.
