CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS LEADING TO MULTIPLE COUNTS OF CRIMINAL ANIMAL CRUELTY FILED AGAINST THE NIH'S "ALAMOGORDO PRIMATE FACILITY" OPERATOR

Prepared by In Defense of Animals  /   September 7th, 2004

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September 16, 2002 - The very same day that the chimpanzees at The Coulston Foundation are permanently retired, a 16-year-old chimpanzee named Ashley dies at the APF. IDA's network of whistleblowers states that Ashley had suffered an injury to her sex skin, had been bleeding continuously throughout the day, and suffered from a medical condition that made clotting more difficult, as noted by the veterinarian treating her. During one five-minute period towards the end of the normal animal care workshift, she was observed standing on her head, then shaking violently and continuously while bleeding. Despite these obvious clinical signs of distress, animal care staff make the conscious and willful decision to leave the facility, leaving her in the care of a security guard totally untrained in animal care - but not before telling him to increase his observation rounds of her and to report any problems, thus indicating the animal care staff's knowledge of her distress. Within hours of animal care staff vacating the facility, the security guard finds her dead. IDA does not know how long this apparent APF "policy" of having untrained security/maintenance personnel provide animal care to sick and/or injured chimpanzees has been in place. However, IDA is informed by its network of whistleblowers that this "policy" has been instituted, at least in part, to save money. Despite the pledge in its technical proposal to the NIH that it would perform professional necropsies, CRL fails to preserve some of Ashley's tissues properly, making it impossible for the pathologist to examine them. The cruelty surrounding Ashley's death will be included in District Attorney Scot Key's criminal animal cruelty charges against Charles River Laboratories and Dr. Rick Lee. The NIH continues to fund CRL.

October 28, 2002 - Forbes Magazine names James C. Foster, Charles River CEO, Chairman and President, its "Entrepreneur of the Year."

December 30, 2002 - A 16-year-old chimpanzee named Rex dies at the APF. According to IDA's network of whistleblowers, Rex had not awakened from the previous day's sedation for a physical, itself a sign of how severely ill Rex was. He had been ill for months, and during that time had lost a significant amount of weight. During the day he died, he was observed to be vomiting frequently while unconscious. An animal caretaker stayed in his treatment cage and periodically removed the vomit from his mouth with a suction device. Rex also may have been on oxygen and/or given intravenous fluids. Towards the end of the animal care staff workshift, the treating veterinarian (who had also treated Ashley) came in and said that both she and the animal caretaker had to leave. Although the veterinarian wanted to stay and care for Rex, she was heard to say that she had been told, presumably by senior Charles River APF staff, that she could not stay, because that that was now security's responsibility. Consequently, the animal caretaker actually removed the life support measures; the security guard had no training with any such life support. Despite the fact that Rex was unconscious and continued to vomit, no one continued to remove the vomit from his mouth, and animal care staff made the conscious, willful decision to abandon Rex and leave the facility - leaving behind an unconscious, vomiting chimpanzee who had been ill for months. The untrained security guard was again told to increase his monitoring rounds and report to the veterinarian. Rex was found dead several hours later, and the Charles River APF necropsy report indicated that vomit was present in his mouth and trachea when he died. IDA does not know if Rex ever regained consciousness. The cruelty surrounding Rex's death will be included in District Attorney Scot Key's criminal animal cruelty charges against Charles River Laboratories and Dr. Rick Lee. The NIH continues to fund CRL.

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