U.S. Government To Retire Its Research Chimps

NPR

Published November 19, 2015 at 12:33 PM EST

Two-month-old chimpanzee Liwali is carried by her mother Lisa while inspecting Christmas gift-wrapped food treats and other tasty decorations left inside the exhibit in Sydney on December 9, 2014. The chimpanzees were quick to pounce on the festive-themed enrichment items prepared by keepers, showing off their natural foraging skills to uncover the food inside while some seemed just as happy playing with the cardboard box packaging. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

The National Institutes of Health is retiring all of its research chimpanzees. NIH retired most of its chimps two years ago, but kept 50 on hand in case they were needed for important research, as in the case of a public health emergency.

Since 2013, though, only one request has been submitted to do research with the chimpanzees, and even that request was eventually withdrawn. Also during that time, the animals have received endangered species protection from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Now, as soon as space can be found, all of the NIH’s remaining research chimpanzees will be moved to sanctuaries, to live out the rest of their days.

Here & Now’s Indira Lakshmanan talks with Vicki Croke of WBUR’s The Wild Life about the NIH’s decision to end its chimp program, and what that means for the animals and for research.

More animal conversations with Vicki Croke

Guest

Vicki Croke, host of WBUR’s The Wild Life blog. She tweets @TheWildLifeWBUR.