Institute denies using baboons in harmful research

The Institute of Primate Research has denied reports that the facility was being used to conduct harmful research on baboons

It has strongly defended its activities saying they were above board and were aimed at advancing medical research for the benefit of Kenya and the world.

In a dispatch published on its website, IPR has accused the pro-animal rights lobby – British Union Against Vivasection (BUAV) of being driven by malice.

The dispatch added that the British lobby’s quest seeking the stoppage of IPR’s research activities was aimed at tarnishing its reputation as a world class research institute “at the brink of a breakthrough in its research activities.

“The IPR/National Museum of Kenya (NMK) management is therefore unfamiliar with BUAV’s objectives, investigational methods, or goals, and can only conclude that the entire exercise was meant to besmirch the reputation of a good public institution in Kenya that is on the verge of achieving international standards for its scientific and biomedical programmes through a rigorous program of international accreditation.”

OBSERVED CODE OF CONDUCT

IPR said no one informed them of impending investigations adding that its entire staff observed a strict code of conduct that required their practices to be above board.

It added that out of Kenya’s 13 non-human primate species, only the two most abundant species – baboons and African Green Monkeys are used for biomedical research.

“For the other species, we are involved in active conservation efforts in field settings all over the country because our studies show that they need active conservation measures as they are listed as either vulnerable or endangered. Among them are Mangabeys, de Brazza and Colobus monkeys,” it said.

IPR said they were denied a chance to be heard before, during or after the investigations saying the use of animals to study human diseases and to test medical products for safety and efficacy before making them available for general human use in hospitals and clinics was a well-established scientific tradition, accepted and supported by governments and the general public.

“Scientists have subsequently accepted the obligations that come with this responsibility including the conduct of highly ethical and regulated scientific protocols involving animals,” it said.

The BUAV investigation was based on the collaborative work using primates (baboons) carried out by UK Neuroscientist Prof Stuart Baker of Newcastle University at IPR in recent years.

BRITISH PRESS BIASED

IPR accused the British press of bias in its reporting saying it (IPR) provided a response that was ignored in favour of the BUAV findings that grossly understated the activities of IPR.

“The removal of abundant animals from the wild is both a species management issue for the country, as well as a source of animals for much needed medical research on diseases that impose a high burden on Kenyans and globally.

“For our biomedical programmes we only use animals identified by the Kenya Wildlife Service is problematic animals cited in human-primate conflicts in certain localities in unmanageable numbers.

“The animals have become agricultural pests/crop raiders and farmers are already taking matters into their hands-killing the animals,” said IPR.

It said that IPR used the highest levels of technical expertise and upheld high standards for animal welfare during the trapping exercise.

CAPTURE PROTOCOL

“The capture protocol requires that our animal experts camp in the bush for several months awaiting the identified animals to habituate a troop of animals before they are eventually confined.

“Every effort is made to take an entire troop of up to 20 individuals, as taking only a part of the group would disrupt the complex social structure of the remaining animals.

“These measures greatly reduce the stress associated with capture and there are scientific studies that bear this out, that is, maintaining group dynamics significantly reduces stress,” IPR said.

Last Sunday, renowned biologist Dr Jane Goodall, urged the international community to pressurise IPR and its partners to abandon the research activities or risk withdrawal of essential funding and loss of tourism revenue.

In the last four years, IPR said, Sh50 million had been used to renovate and expand the animal facilities which was funded by the Kenyan government, local and external partners where paired animals occupy a space of at least four square meters.