Senator Kennedy urges NIH to relocate retired chimpanzees

Sen. John Kennedy sent a letter to the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, urging them to release their retired chimpanzees to Chimp Haven located outside of Shreveport, LA.

Federal law requires the NIH to transfer chimpanzees to the national sanctuary once they are retired from the New Mexico and Texas labs. At Chimp Haven, the chimpanzees would have a higher quality of life and receive better care from the veterinary and behavioral teams there. The chimpanzees at the sanctuary have large social groups and a natural environment to stimulate their minds and helps them recover from trauma experienced in the laboratories.

"Not only is Chimp Haven far better suited to meet the complex needs of chimpanzees previously used in biomedical research, but the cost of care is dramatically cheaper," Kennedy wrote.

Kennedy requested for Collins to provide information on the projected housing costs at the New Mexico and Texas facilities for the next 10 years. He also requested their housing contract with the Keeling Center of Comparative Medicine and Research, the NIH's Veterinary Panel Review Summaries and their plan to meet its own recommendations that captive chimpanzees be maintained in appropriate environments.

"I see no valid reason for the NIH to continue housing retired chimpanzees at laboratory facilities where the chimpanzees' needs are not met and the cost to taxpayers is increasing."

Visit kennedy.senate.gov to see the full letter.

Meredith G. White is an arts and culture reporter in Shreveport. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White and on Instagram and Twitter @meredithgwhite.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: NIH urged to relocate retired chimpanzees by Sen. John Kennedy