Jorg Eichberg is a US primate experimenter who moved to the Netherlands to head the Biomedical Primate Research Center in Rijswijk. The center houses a large colony which includes around 120 chimpanzees, 1000 rhesus, 120 long­tailed macaques, 150 cottontop tamarins, 100 common marmosets, 50 owl monkeys and 30 squirrel monkeys.

Recently IPPL received a tip­off that a group of "senior citizen" rhesus were going to be shipped to the United States where they would be used in invasive Parkinson's disease experimentation at the University of Chicago.

On 14 September 1997 IPPL Chairwoman Shirley McGreal contacted Eichberg, saying:

IPPL has recently received a message from a person very concerned that BPRC is apparently planning to send a group of senior research monkeys to the United States for continued, possibly harmful, experimentation at a midwest facility. Can you please clarify whether this is correct and whether there will be any exchange of money involved in this transaction?

Why would the BPRC want to send veteran research monkeys to be further experimented on when they deserve retirement and some decent living before they leave this earth? Surely there are more things more important than money. If indeed these plans exist as reported, IPPL urgently requests that they be reconsidered.

Eichberg responded with a phone­call and a faxed message dated 2 October 1997 which stated:

In response to your fax of September 14, I am providing you the reasons for BPRC to sell 15 monkeys to a well respected laboratory in the U.S. The animals are about 22 years old and excellent models for Parkinson's research, which they will be used for.

Please be aware that we are primarily a research institute, but that one of our functions is also to provide animals to other institutions (if available). In addition, we are striving for optimal use of animals, thereby decreasing the total number needed.

Unfortunately for the monkeys, Eichberg and his colleague Tom Kos, head of the BPRC Animal Science Department, decided that they should be sent to the US. On 24 October, IPPL learned that, "The BPRC sent the 15 very old monkeys to Charles River [a primate quarantine station] in Houston."

There is a lot of talk about chimpanzee retirement. Nobody talks much about monkeys, except IPPL. IPPL believes that veteran research monkeys also deserve a break after enduring lives of human­inflicted suffering.

We are disappointed that Eichberg chose to send these research veterans to suffer invasive research and probably die. Protest letters may be addressed to:

Dr. J. M. M. Ritzen, Minister of Education, Culture and Science
PO Box 2500
2700 LZ Zoetermeer, Netherlands

Please send a joint letter to Drs. Jorg Eichberg and Tom Kos at:

Biomedical Primate Research Center
Lange Kleiweg 151, POB 3306
2288 GH Rijswijk, Netherlands
 
 
 

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