Animal experimentation

Humane Society International scores a big win at the Cannes Lions Festival for its short film ‘Save Ralph’—which features characters voiced by Taika Waititi, Ricky Gervias, Zac Efron, Olivia Munn, and more—made in support of its initiative to end cosmetic animal testing worldwide.

“Using animals for science does not start in a lab. It is driven by decisions much further down the track. Funding and policy decisions are a major driver of animal experimentation. A lack of transparency and openness means the public rarely knows what is going on. And our laws are often weak and selectively enforced."

Learn verified facts about the animals

Staff broke a terrified monkey's arm when it resisted a procedure. (113402 signatures on petition)

Title: Labrat | Category: Conceptual | Country: Netherlands

There are approximately 1,700 chimpanzees who are used for experiments in the U.S.

The suffering of animals used in medical research is not contested, although the scale of it often is. However, views diverge sharply on whether animal experimentation is part of good science and results in medical breakthroughs for humans, or whether such progress could have been achieved by other means.

Arguably one of the most heated debates in science, efforts to reduce the number of animals used in studies face many barriers, says Alla Katsnelson.