Thursday, May 7, 2009

Help for Baxter Chimps needed

Here is some information that was sent to GAFI about chimps that have been used in medical trials and are now facing an uncertain future


Dear friends,

for those of you working on primates and/or animal experiments: The Austria-based ngo Four Paws has asked us for assistance in finding an animal friendly solution for 41 chimps that have been used for HIV experiments and are now at risk to be dumped in inadequate destinations. Maybe some of you would like to become active and write a protest letter to the responsible enterprise BAXTER or even activate your members and activists to write protests as well.

I copied some text from Four Paws, which you can use:

“41 chimpanzees abused in experiments and infected with HIV and Hepatitis by pharmaceutical company Immuno/Baxter (producers of vaccinations, plasma and blood medications) have spent the past six years in an abandoned safari park in Austria. A responsible solution for the afflicted animals has been put off for years. Now the group is to be divided. The “healthier” apes will soon be taken to an inappropriately equipped zoo in Hungary - the future of the other chimpanzees remains uncertain. … wellbeing of the chimpanzees must not be sacrificed once again in favour of short-sighted plans!”

“Dear XX,

Hereby I am urging you to find an adequate solution for the lab chimps abused by Immuno / Baxter, which does justice by the chimpanzees. To deport some of the traumatized apes that have been used in HIV and Hepatitis research to a Hungarian zoo is as much of a stopgap as leaving the animals in the equally inappropriate facility in Gänserndorf. If Baxter continues to support this solution, the company will fail to live up to their responsibilities towards the chimpanzees.

The 41 chimpanzees have been ruined physically and mentally for the interests of the pharmaceutical companies for years, following their legally questionable import to Austria. The transfer of these abused apes to Safari Park Gänserndorf, which has gone bankrupt in the meantime, was advised against massively at the time. This should not be followed by the next kneejerk solution, putting in jeopardy the established social groups. A sound solution must be found, which meets the special welfare needs of these debilitated apes.

By taking over Immuno, Baxter has assumed the responsibility for these chimpanzees. Therefore I urge you to use the capacity of your corporation to prevent the realization of the current plan, and to work for a mutual and sustainable solution for the “Baxter Chimpanzees”

For more information contact:

Dr. Signe Preuschoft from Four Paws (Tel: +43-1-895 0202-43; Mobile: +43-664-8485 554; Fax: +43-1-895 02 02-99; signe.preuschoft@vier-pfoten.org )

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