Found Object - Bound and gagged

Yerkes research center logged 13 violations in nine months

On June 27, animal-rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now listed Emory University as one of the 20 research facilities with the most violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Emory’s Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center logged 13 violations over a nine-month period in 2005, according to documents the group obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. After CL asked a Yerkes rep about the most egregious of the 13 violations, she released a statement saying Yerkes “took immediate action” to fix the situation and hired a “quality assurance manager” to prevent it from happening again. “We regret the error,” the statement said. Below is an excerpt from the federal inspection that describes the violation:</
“Personnel conducting studies in NS lab 2248 were observed utilizing inappropriate restraint methods. Two Rhesus macaques were chaired for a series of blood collections. The forearms/hands and lower legs/feet of each animal were secured to the frame of the chair with duct tape. There was no padding/protective layer under the tape and the fingers and toes could not be visualized. This results in animal discomfort ... and limited ability to quickly and safely release the animal. Questioning of the involved individuals indicates poor understanding of humane methods of animal experimentation. Personnel using animals to conduct studies must be aware of methods to minimize distress and utilize them unless scientifically justified and approved by IACUC [Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee].”