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Comments on Proposed Regulations for Chimpanzees

In 2000 President Clinton signed the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance and Protection (CHIMP) Act, the most significant part of which addressed the lifelong care of chimpanzees owned by the federal government. Out of this legislation a federally funded “sanctuary system” was created. Chimp Haven was awarded the contract to provide for chimpanzees no longer needed in laboratory research.

Now, years later, as Chimp Haven begins opening its doors to its first arrivals of chimpanzees “retired” from research, NIH posted the proposed regulations in preparation for public commentary. Yesterday, in a 12 page letter to the Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS), a division of the National Institutes of Health, ten organizations joined efforts to present a comprehensive commentary on the proposed regulations. The organizations, representing a combined membership of more than 8.7 million Americans, included: the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, Fauna Sanctuary, Save The Chimps, Center for Great Apes, Laboratory Primate Advocacy Group, Primate Rescue Center, Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute, Humane Society of the United States, and In Defense of Animals.

First and foremost, the comments called for Chimp Haven to be more than just an enriched laboratory environment. Highlighting their years of institutionalization, the letter called for Chimp Haven to prioritize the needs of the individual chimpanzees over that of the institution to provide for the emotional, sociological and physical needs of this likely compromised population. For many if not most of the chimpanzees, years or decades of use in experimental protocols or breeding will have taken its toll.

The comments submitted to NIH also called for full disclosure of the federally funded facility, including outside oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Most importantly, the comments concluded:

The word sanctuary implies a place of permanent refuge and protection, asylum, cover, harbor, or haven. We ask that DHHS agree to provide any and all chimpanzees retired into the federal sanctuary system with permanent protection from any further research.

Removing a chimpanzee from a sanctuary and putting him/her back into a laboratory environment or research protocol [as current language allows] is not retirement. We firmly believe that the chimpanzees sent into retirement should be provided permanent protection from further research as was the original intention of the CHIMP Act. We believe that a sanctuary funded by public tax dollars as well as private donations from the caring public must be responsive to that public and their growing concerns for greater protection and respect for chimpanzees.

Click here for complete comments submitted to NIH

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