Yerkes: Retire Privately Owned Chimpanzees Now

December 10, 2013 • Posted in Action Alerts

Despite the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently retiring all federally owned chimpanzees (with the significant exception of 50 to be held for "future potential research"), Yerkes National Primate Research Center still houses some 85 privately owned chimpanzees who have not been scheduled for retirement.

Candy
Candy, a Chimp Haven sanctuary resident (Chimp Haven)

Laboratories are fighting to hold on to the millions in funding they have received for decades to simply house and maintain chimpanzees – even though all the while, their actual use in research was rapidly dwindling or nonexistent (read about other labs and send additional letters to them here).

Take Action

Please write to Emory University President James W. Wagner and ask him to retire all privately owned Yerkes chimpanzees (Emory operates Yerkes). It will only take you seconds with this form.

If you prefer, you can use the language below and send to this address:

President James W. Wagner
Emory University
Office of the President
Mail Stop #1000/001/1AP
Atlanta, GA 30322
404-727-6013
wagner@emory.edu

President Wagner

It's time to close the chimpanzee program at Yerkes National Primate Research Center. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is retiring approximately 90% of its federally owned chimpanzees. But according to data from a 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, there will remain close to 85 privately owned chimpanzees at your lab.

With recent reports and decisions, the NIH and the IOM have acknowledged what science has known for years – chimpanzees are not viable models for studying human disease (published papers on the topic can be found at releasechimps.org/resources/science-papers). The need for funding or keeping chimpanzees for research has come to the end. Please help the United States join the other scientifically advanced countries who have already ended this practice by retiring ALL privately owned Yerkes chimpanzees.

President Wagner, I am appealing to you to take the lead and commit your institution to modern and compassionate science in all its endeavors. This can and must start by closing the chimpanzee program at Yerkes and releasing all your chimpanzees to sanctuary today!

Sincerely,
Your Name

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