Covance poisoning for profit
In December 2003, the BUAV launched the findings of a five month undercover investigation at contract testing company Covance in Münster, Germany. This Covance facility specialises almost exclusively in primate toxicology for the international pharmaceutical and chemical industry. Our groundbreaking investigation exposed the horrific suffering of thousands of monkeys subjected to a life of deprivation, fear, torment and toxic poisoning in what was the first ever undercover operation inside a German laboratory.
Major Findings
- The BUAV's investigator gathered shocking video evidence of macaque monkeys being routinely kept in isolation in small, single, barren, metal cages in which they lacked social interaction, environmental enrichment, space to exercise or access to natural light.
- A number of individuals exhibited the classic signs of mental disturbance - behaviour such as rocking, back flipping and repetitive cage pacing.
- As well as being subjected to a distressing routine of blood sampling, forced oral dosing of chemicals and long periods restrained in 'primate chairs' for the slow intravenous infusion of substances, primates at Covance also endured physical and verbal abuse from certain staff.
- Caught on the BUAV's camera, staff can be seen roughly handling the monkeys, sometimes literally dragging them out of their cages for dosing and throwing them back in afterwards. Staff can also be seen shouting and swearing at the animals, and even forcing them to 'dance' to radio music for their own amusement.
