A plan backed by millions of dollars is raising serious concerns for animal welfare advocates in the United States.
Billionaire investor Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir, has backed Safer Human Medicine with a reported $20 million investment. The company wants to establish a massive breeding operation in Georgia that could eventually house up to 30,000 monkeys for medical research.
The animals would primarily be long-tailed macaques, intelligent and social primates that are already classified as endangered.
The company says the United States needs a reliable domestic supply of monkeys for biomedical research. It argues that relying on overseas suppliers has created serious supply problems for American research facilities.
But many people are asking a different question. Should the answer be to breed tens of thousands of monkeys for laboratory experiments?
These animals are not products on an assembly line. They are social creatures with complex needs. They form bonds, experience stress and need space to live in conditions that support their well-being.
The proposal has also faced strong opposition from local residents and animal protection groups. Concerns have been raised about animal welfare, public health and the impact such a large facility could have on the surrounding community.
There is another part of this story worth remembering. The founder of Safer Human Medicine previously worked as an executive at Envigo, the company involved in a major animal welfare scandal over its treatment of thousands of beagles. Envigo later pleaded guilty to federal animal welfare violations.
The proposed Georgia facility is not yet operating. But the plan raises important questions about the future of animal testing in America.
Medical research matters. Finding treatments for serious diseases matters. But should progress come at the cost of breeding tens of thousands of intelligent animals for experiments?
Science is also making progress with human cell-based research, organ-on-a-chip technology and other alternatives that could reduce the need for animal testing.
We should be asking how much more can be done to advance these methods.
🚨🗣️Gary Neville on Aston Villa reportedly suing Jamie Carragher.
🗣️“It's a shame, an absolute shame. Why would a football club even think of doing something like that? Just why? We're talking about a football pundit doing his job and giving his opinion. What exactly are we expecting him to do?
Carra and I have spoken about some of the biggest clubs in the world over the years. We've criticised Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and plenty of others. None of that has stopped us from doing our jobs, and we've never expected every club to agree with what we say.
He barely made comments, and now they're taking legal action against him simply for expressing an opinion on an issue? I find that ridiculous. Football clubs cannot expect everyone in the media to praise them all the time.
Look, clubs have every right to defend their reputation if they believe something damaging has been said. But there must be a difference between genuine criticism and something that deserves legal action.
Jamie is one of the most experienced voices in football broadcasting. He knows the game, he understands the industry, and he's entitled to his opinion just like everyone else.
If clubs start taking legal action every time a pundit says something they don't like, where does that leave football analysis? Are we all supposed to sit in the studio and applaud everything?”
@cityguru003 What a dipstic, they have been proven, the independent panel found the guilty. Appealing does not absolve that guilt. Winning the appeal (unlikely)on ALL 114 charges they were found to be guilty of would change that verdict but if and until then they are GUILTY as charged.
@HormuzLetter Oh, it's all about the treasonous traitor preventing the mid term elctions. Wat on the US people to save his own corrupt skin. False flag beckons. 25th NOW!
@HormuzLetter Oh, it's all about the treasonous traitor preventing the mid term elctions. Wat on the US people to save his own corrupt skin. False flag beckons. 25th NOW!
@JamesMelville Due to midle east issues & Stupid Tariffs caused by #Trump all nations Oil & Gas supplies are in danger. Luckly we have lots of Wind etc energy producing backup but even we could have power cuts in a bad winter.
@Tom_Morgs Wasn’t all this evidence already presented, examined and rejected by the independent commission? They didn’t just dismiss the government funding explanation; they concluded it was concocted. What exactly is new here, beyond City disagreeing with the findings?