IDA has scarce information on the victims of the criminal cruelty allegedly perpetrated by Charles River Laboratories, Inc. and veterinarian Dr. Rick Lee. We have their dates of birth and brief blurbs about their personalities. IDA can only imagine how they and their fellow prisoners have suffered, first at the hands of The Coulston Foundation, and now under the "care" of the NIH and Charles River Laboratories. Their suffering will be our rallying cry to end the injustice of research on chimpanzees. We vow that Rex and Ashley will not have died in vain in our campaign to end permanently experimentation on our closest genetic cousins.

Ashley
July 9, 1986 - September 16, 2002

Ashley had dark, white hair on her chin, which can be seen somewhat in her picture. Ashley often twirled around and tilted her head. She was friendly, liked to be scratched, and often kept her distance from other chimpanzees.

Ashley died on September 16, 2002. She had been attacked from all sides by 11 of cagemates and suffered a wound to her "sex skin." Althought she suffered from a medical condition that made clotting more difficult, bled through much of the day, and exhibited signs of shock (i.e., violent shaking), APF animal care staff made the conscious decision to leave her in the "care" of untrained security personnel, and vacated the facility at the end of the workshift. She was found dead several hours later.


Rex
September 7, 1986 - December 30, 2002

Rex had a light complexion with freckles. He was a loner who rocked a lot. This rocking, often described as "stereotypical behavior," could have indicated serious psychological problems brought about by the inadequate conditions of his confinement.

Rex died on December 30, 2002. He had been ill for months and had not awakened from the previous day's anesthesia. During the day he lay unconscious and vomiting as an animal caretaker suctioned the vomit from his mouth. At the end of the workshift, APF management told the animal care staff to actually stop the life support measure of suctioning the vomit. Obeying, animal care staff left Rex, still unconscious and vomiting, in the "care" of untrained security personnel before vacating the facility. Rex was found dead hours later, vomit in his mouth and trachea. It is not known if he ever regained consciousness.


Topsy
Born February 26, 1977, almost bled to death June 26-27, 2003

Topsy has a freckled body, neck and ears. She has short, loose skin on the outer sides of her eyes, and looks somewhat old. Topsy is very friendly, playful, very sociable, and very respected by most of her peers. She is dominant and good friends with the chimpanzee Chiquita.

Topsy almost bled to death on June 26-27, 2003. Like Ashley, she had suffered a wound to her "sex skin" and had been bleeding steadily. The veterinarian noted that she had picked at her wound, making it more difficult to clot. The clinical notes contain a 16-hour gap, entirely consistent with animal care staff vacating the facility and leaving her in the "care" of untrained security personnel. Topsy was discovered the next morning lying in a pool of her own blood, pale and unmoving. She had lost about half of her blood, and needed an emergency transfusion. She was seriously weakened for days after her ordeal.