From FOIA to Freedom: WCW makes FDA retire monkeys to Florida sanctuary

by Anthony Bellotti · in Blog

 


Earlier this year, following a national WCW campaign, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration canceled nicotine addiction testing on monkeys and committed to sending the primates to an accredited sanctuary.  Now, as reported in a feature by CNN, the monkeys have reached their retirement home in Florida at Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary. This is the first time the FDA has ever retired primates to a sanctuary.


CNN tells the story about how the 26 male squirrel monkeys–including Larry, Gregory, Bob, Smokey, Moby, and Oak–went from the FDA’s $5.5 million smoking studies to the Sunshine State where they’ll spend the rest of their lives breathing fresh air, swinging in trees, foraging for food and being wild. The segment explains how WCW first discovered and exposed the project and successfully fought to end it with Dr. Jane Goodall and others.

Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Brendan Boyle (D-PA)–who are now pushing FDA to end all of its primate testing along with Rep. Brendan Boyle–praised the move, as did other lawmakers involved in the effort:

 

Tags: ,