Gov. Bill Richardson Petitions USDA to Halt Transfer of New Mexico Chimpanzees

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson recently asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to halt the transfer of 186 chimpanzees to a laboratory where they will be used in painful experiments. 

Gov. Bill Richardson with PCRM staff at the Hall of States after submitting his complaint to the USDA on behalf of the Alamogordo chimpanzees. From left to right: PCRM research program coordinator Noelle Callahan, Gov. Richardson, PCRM director of research policy Hope Ferdowsian, M.D., PCRM director of public and government affairs Elizabeth Kucinich.

At a briefing in Washington last month, the governor joined representatives from PCRM in requesting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) use its authority to stop the transfer of retired chimpanzees living at a nonresearch facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico, to a laboratory in Texas.

In his written petition, Gov. Richardson stated that the transfer of the ill, aging chimpanzees, including 53-year-old Flo, 51-year-old Guy, and 44-year-old Owen, “will violate USDA regulations regarding the care in transit of nonhuman primates because this population of animals is obviously ill and would likely experience distress, injury, or even death in the course of transport.”

The event received extensive TV, print, and Internet coverage, including a feature on CNN. Watch and share:

 The chimpanzees have not been used in experiments for about a decade and many suffer from chronic conditions related to old age and past use in experiments, including severe heart disease, liver disease, viral infections, and diabetes. Flo, Owen, Rudy, and Guy, for example, all suffer from chronic heart ailments, putting them at risk for cardiac adverse events including sudden cardiac death.

Medical and veterinary experts with PCRM have analyzed thousands of pages of records that detail the medical histories of some of the Alamogordo chimpanzees. These documents offer disturbing insight into how these animals were treated while being used for experiments. Flo, for example, has been chemically immobilized at least 115 times.

“The chimpanzees in Alamogordo are still reeling from the impact of decades of invasive experiments,” says John J. Pippin, M.D., F.A.C.C., senior medical and research adviser for PCRM. “There is no justification for subjecting them to the hazards of transportation and more experimentation at this stage of their lives—they simply don’t have the strength to make it through.”

Gov. Richardson is asking the USDA to issue a cease and desist order to prevent the transport of these ill and at-risk primates. The USDA has in the past issued orders to stop imminent violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

To watch a video report on the history and possible future of the Alamogordo chimpanzees and to ask the federal government to halt their transfer, visit PCRM.org/Alamogordo.