FREEDOM AT LAST !!!!!
On the 22nd February 2002 it was freedom at last for the balance of the
baboons rescued from the C.A.P.E. (Centre Africain Primatologie Experimentale).
They had been rehabilitated at CARE (Centre for Animal Rehabilitation
and Education) in the Northern Province, after CARE had obtained a court
interdict and was awarded custody of them. The baboons were returned to
the wild at a private farm in the Waterberg.
The animals, who had formed a troop during rehabilitation, all took off
together and have thus far remained so. Their progress can be monitored
as their backs have been marked with a harmless red dye. The release was
made extra special by the attendance of former president of South Africa,
Nelson Mandela. Rita Miljo, director of CARE, is believed to be the first
person in the world successfully to rehabilitate, form into troops and
release back into the wild, traumatised and orphaned baboons. SAAV, who
funded the release, has been a long time supporter of CARE. In 1996 SAAV
built a sanctuary at CARE for experimental baboons whose release SAAV
had negotiated. The baboons had spent ten years in experimental cages
at the National Centre for Occupational
Health in Johannesburg. (See: Does our government serve a French Master?)
ANTI-VIVISECTION PIONEER MAKES INROADS
Most people feel that animal experimentation is cruel and wrong, but
when confronted with choosing “your child or your dog” the
same people are at a loss for a convincing argument against it. Not so
Belgianborn veterinarian André Menache who, as president of the
international London-based Doctors and Lawyers for Responsible Medicine,
wages a constant war from his Kfar Saba home to show that, scientifically,
vivisection and the use of animals in experiments in general is useless
and even counter-productive. As a young veterinary student in South
Africa in the 1970’s, he was always stymied when confronted with
the cliché of having to choose between a child and a dog, says
Menache. “It motivated me to go and look for scientific arguments
rather than the moral and ethical objections that were the only ones heard
then.” After 25 years of research, Menache and his organization
have found a lot of the answers. They base their opposition to animal
experiments and animal-to-human transplants on well-argued scientific
principles, particularly species differences and the dangers of animal
organs, complete with bacteria and viruses, being transplanted into humans.
The organization’s Web site (http: /
www.dlrm.org) gives convincing answers to the most frequently asked questions,
such as whether penicillin and the polio vaccine benefited from animal
experimentation. “Not at all!” they proclaim, maintaining
it slowed down
and side-tracked the development of these drugs. According to Menache
and his fellow scientists, Alexander Fleming observed penicillin killing
bacteria in a Petri dish in 1929. He gave it to bacteria-infected rabbits,
but it was ineffective. (We now know, apparently, that rabbits rapidly
excrete penicillin in their urine so it doesn’t work for them.)
Disappointed, Fleming set the drug aside for a decade, as the rabbits
had “proved” it was useless and only used it again years later
in desperation, on a patient near death, achieving a “miracle”
cure. The rest is history, and Fleming attributed his discovery to serendipity.
With similar reasoning, Menache attacks
the development of the polio vaccine and insulin as having been hindered
rather than helped by animal experimentation. He also has ready answers
to questions on drug safety without animals, alternatives to animals,
and medical training without animals. As well as founding the Israel Horse
Protection Society, back in 1983, Menache founded the Israeli Anti-vivisection
Society and was its first chairman for more than five years.
He began to read widely and was greatly influenced by Hans Ruesch’s
Slaughter of the Innocents, which started him on his search for scientific
answers. A visit to Israel 15 years ago by famed Italian pathologist Prof.
Pietro Croce, one of the fathers of the scientific movement against animal
experimentation, gave him the
boost he needed to begin his campaign, and gradually his ideas are seeping
into local consciousness.
The arrival of Henry Heimlich - he of the maneuvre - in 1990 gave Menache
just the right publicity he needed for his cause. Heimlich is famous for
his medical inventions, including a one-way valve for chest injuries used
in the
Israeli Defence Force (IDF.) “He is credited with having saved more
lives than any other American,” says Menache. “He’s
vehemently opposed to animal experiments, and spoke on the subject at
a congress which I co-organized. Through him, I was able to make contact
with the chief medical officer of the IDF.” Together Menache and
Heimlich persuaded the army to stop using dogs in the training of battlefield
paramedics, and the ruling became effective in 1992. Encouraged, Menache
persuaded the IDF to use cadavers rather than live dogs in the training
of military doctors in advanced trauma life support. Today dogs are no
longer used if cadavers are available - another success for Menache and
his group. “It shows that if you put your mind to the problem and
provide viable alternatives, you can do away with the use of animals altogether,”
he says. “It also it proves you can take on a sacred cow like the
IDF and get it to change its training methods if you really want to.”
An even greater achievement was the amendment to a Nuremberg-inspired
clause in the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 to the effect that before human
experimentation could be done, it had to be done on animals. In 2000 the
World Medical Association adopted part of the amendment and agreed that
doctors who did not want to do so, could refuse to experiment on animals.
Menache considers this one of their greatest achievements. Recently two
military doctors refused to take part in animal experiments in the army,
even though it affected their promotion
prospects. Another breakthrough is that Israel has banned vivisection
in schools - one of only three countries in the world to do so. Religiously
traditional, Menache realizes that stopping animal experimentation is
a publicrelations battle based not on being sentimental about animals
but showing that it is counterproductive.
Nevertheless, he says he could never accept that God would make the torture
of animals the only way to medical progress. Source: Jerusalem Post: FEATURES
P.4 18.01.2002
‘DR. DEATH’ FINDS TESTS ON ANIMALS UNRELIABLE
Chemical warfare expert Wouter ‘Dr. Death’ Basson told the
Pretoria High Court of his experiment on baboons, which also caused him
to spend three days in hospital. “Baboons were placed inside a plastic
hut in cages. A number of dangerous new generation tear gas grenades were
placed inside the hut. We watched from outside to
see how the baboons reacted. At one stage the smoke became too thick so
that we could not see. I suited up, put on a gas mask and went inside.
The first baboon sat there eating quite calmly. The second one gave my
gas mask one look, did a double somersault and defecated all over his
cage. The third one also sat eating. I was very angry. I thought there
was something wrong with the grenade. In a fit of temper, I pulled off
my gas mask and
threw it onto the ground. I fell down with the gas mask. Luckily, Mijburgh
was outside and could drag me out. I spent three days in hospital. The
baboons did not react at all to the irritating effect (of the teargas)
on the
lungs and eyes,” he said.
EDITORIAL
It is an anomaly that some ‘animal lovers’ are enraged by
the idea of cats and dogs being experimented on, while the thought of
experimentation on baboons and monkeys does not elicit the same emotions.
This is at odds with the increasing world-wide recognition that primates
are sentient beings that display high levels of intelligence,
have complex social, emotional and family lives and are capable of suffering.
Indeed, there are moves towards a
consideration of a ban on the use of all primates in research. Social
awareness and accompanying deceptive
behaviour are taken by experts in animal consciousness as some of the
defining aspects of a high self-aware and complex mind, not least because
they seem to require a sense of the other mind as well as one’s
own. In his book The Singing Gorilla: understanding animal intelligence,
George Page describes various incidents which illustrate such deceptive
behaviour. One such incident was when a female baboon sneaked away from
the alpha
male in her troop and mated with a young male behind a rock, unseen by
the alpha. Moreover, she peeked out from behind the rock, apparently to
make certain that the alpha male remained oblivious to her infidelity.
Grief is referred to as a higher-order emotion and its presence in the
animal kingdom reinforces the realisation of psychological continuities
between humans and other animals. The experiencing of grief by primates
has been well documented. George Page describes how, during the filming
of Japanese Macaques by researchers some years ago, one of the macaques
gave birth to a stillborn baby. The mother would not let go of it. At
night she would climb into a particular tree, hold the dead baby in her
arms and emit the most blood-curdling scream.
She did this for three days and three nights. On the fourth day she put
the body of her baby on the jungle floor and disappeared into the jungle
herself. In South Africa, vivisector Chris Barnard described how the mate
of a
chimp, whose heart was used for a transplant, was inconsolable and cried
for days afterwards. Barnard resolved
‘never to experiment on so sensitive an animal again.’ In
1990 more than one hundred baboons were slaughtered following their discovery,
at the CAPE experimental station in Mpumalanga, in an emaciated condition.
Rita Miljo, director of the CARE Rehabilitation centre who was at the
scene, describes the event: ‘When one baboon was darted, we brought
her out. Even though she was drugged and dying she clung to her one month
old
baby, stroking its head. As she was going she seemed to realise it was
the end. Her eyes looked at me. She seemed to say to me, ‘take my
baby, look after her well.’ The experience upset Rita so much that
she had
to be treated in hospital for two days. ‘I will never forget it,’
she said. The baby was saved and cared for by Rita until its release together
with a troop of other baby baboons. Does it not behove us, therefore,
to consider primates as individuals capable of intense suffering?
NATURE`S CHILDREN
by Beatrice Wiltshire
The sun shines bright and the wind blows free
When you`re at home in the Wild.
The sun shines bright and the wind blows free
When you are Nature`s Child.
But the eight baboons in the dark dank rooms
Locked in a tiny cage
Cross their arms, rock to and fro
And scream in despair and rage
So bang on your cage and scream in rage
But you are not insane
That honour devolves on the ones outside
Who torture you for gain
In the next door room the Devils of Doom
Are stained with the blood of the hearts
Of the friends you saw just the night before
Now in bottles of body parts
Cry not for the baby you left behind
When caught in a trapping spree
`Tis better he`s there in another`s care
For he at least is free
For the sun shines bright and the wind blows free
When you`re alone in the Wild
The sun shines bright and the wind blows free
When you are Nature`s Child
DOES THE S.A. GOVERNMENT SERVE A
FRENCH MASTER?
The recent rehabilitation and release of the ‘nuclear’ baboons
rescued from the secret Mpumalanga laboratory in the bush, brings to mind
a similar occasion from the past. In 1990, in the last days of the apartheid
era and at the time when a number of South African Defence Force front
companies were closed down or liquidated, the world was outraged when
more than 100 baboons and monkeys were found dead or dying from starvation
in rows of small wire cages at a secret ‘research’ centre
in the Mpumalanga bush, close to the SA Air Force’s Hoedspruit
airbase. The animals had been caught in the wild and had then been left
without food or care for months by the French operators of a shady operation
with the grand title: Centre Africain Primatologie Experimentale (CAPE).
To discourage criticism, the name of a wellknown French scientist, Professor
Roger du Boisterselin, head of the histology and embryology laboratory
at La Pitie Salpetriere hospital in Paris was mentioned in connection
with the project which, it then emerged, had been clandestinely operating
without any licences or wildlife permits, since 1985. But the eminent
professor’s involvement in the vile project could not be confirmed
- he had died in
1988. The official ‘owner’ of the premises, M. Michel Bailly-Maistre,
confirmed that R3 million had been invested in the project but then refused
to say who he represented. He was never called upon in court to explain
either. Instead he was allowed to walk free after paying a risible admission
of guilt fine of R200. Suspicions about (French) state funding and the
sinister military connections of the place were, if anything, confirmed
by the
extraordinary reluctance of the Nat government to take any action. The
French Embassy remained tight lipped.
There is also a possible link to the Roodeplaat Research Laboratory (RRL).
According to documentation in SAAV’s possession (a report written
to Professor Coubrough at Onderstepoort by the veterinary surgeon at CAPE,
Dr. Pappin) in 1992 CAPE was visited by Dr. George Gaenssler and Dr .
James Davies from the RRL, as well as General Milhaud and Col. Mestreis
from France. This report also speaks of ‘ongoing liaison’
between
CAPE and RRL. In 1996 SAAV received documentary evidence that CAPE was
supplying the French
military with baboons for warfare and nuclear testing. Baboons were sent
to CRSSA De Mestreis (Grenoble) and Sanofi Research Laboratories in France.
This was done with special intervention by and specific instructions
from Pallo Jordan (then Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism)
who flagrantly ignored legitimate provincial procedures and a provincial
moratorium in the Northern Province on the export of primates.
CAPE’s continued existence is therefore tied directly to present
government intervention. One also questions why CAPE continues to survive
to this day and, indeed, how they can make a living from exporting 60
- 100 primates per year, which is what the records show. How can a sophisticated
laboratory, in which apparently millions have been invested, make a profit
from this and, from a financial point of view, justify its existence?
Perhaps it’s time the S.A. government came clean regarding their
professed commitment to transparency and accountability.
RSPCA HOODWINKED OVER CRUEL PET FOOD EXPERIMENTS
Stars, such as Joanna Lumley, Annie Lennox and Sean Hughes, have vowed
to boycott Iams veterinary products. This comes in the wake of the controversial
multinational consumer products company, Procter &
Gamble, running into more trouble on the eve of Crufts Dog Show. It has
emerged that the corporation issued inaccurate animal testing policy statements
to the RSPCA during talks prior to a national joint promotion in
supermarkets, such as Tesco’s. Procter & Gamble’s efforts
to mass market IAMS, the pet food company it acquired in September 1999,
in the UK were dealt a severe blow when Uncaged Campaigns uncovered documents
describing laboratory experiments on 460 cats and dogs supported by the
Iams Company. A front page story in the Sunday Express (27 May 2001),
based on Uncaged Campaigns’ work, publicised the
horrific research. Many of the animals endured painful or invasive experiments,
which were often lethal. The RSPCA vowed to sever its ties with Iams when
this information emerged. In a letter responding to Uncaged
Campaigns’ concerns, dated 22 January 2002, the RSPCA acknowledged
that, contrary to Iams denials, the “allegations” which appeared
in the Express “were indeed well-founded.” The Society goes
on to describe the Procter & Gamble policy statement “we do
not use cats and dogs in research or testing for non-drug
products” as ‘deficient’. Elaborating, a RSPCA spokesperson
confirmed: “Had we been aware of their research we would never have
been involved in promoting their products. Once we were aware, we stopped.”
Uncaged Campaigns protested outside Crufts (7-10 March) in opposition
to Iams’ animal testing practices and to lobby the Kennel Club to
bar Iams from being a sponsor of the show. Dan Lyons, director of Uncaged
Campaigns, explains: “We’ve been appalled not only by Iams’
cruelty to animals, but also by the misleading spin the company issues
to create a smokescreen around its cruel treatment of animals. At the
end of the day they are being undone by their own spin, and it’s
quite gratifying that the truth is winning this battle. Iams is now in
crisis - Crufts will be very uncomfortable for them indeed.” Uncaged
Campaigns will be presenting a petition to the Kennel Club at the end
of Crufts requesting a ban on Iams and a firm anti-cruelty policy. Source:
News Release: Uncaged Campaigns
FROM THE SCIENCE CAFE
There was a buzz of conversation at the Science Café, established
at Roodeplaat in the Interests of Better Science. The question was, did
apes evolve from humans, or did humans devolve from apes. ‘Well,
that depends,’ deliberated the Erudite Owl, on whether they are
capable of deception and grief.’ ‘Of course they are capable
of deception,’ twittered the Canary, ‘they say they love you
and then they eat you.’ ‘But are they capable of grief?’
asked Vulture No. 1. ‘Only in autobiographies,’ replied Vulture
No. 2. ‘I suppose it also
depends on their A.Q,’ pondered the Erudite Owl. ‘What is
A.Q.?’ asked the Little Bird who had just flown in.
‘A.Q. stands for Animal Quotient,’ responded the Erudite Owl.
‘It means you having intelligence and compassion.’ ‘I
thought A.Q. meant Avarice Quotient,’ said the Canary. ‘Oh,’
hesitated the Sparrow, ‘so that
must be why they experiment on animals.’
CAMBRIDGE ANIMAL LAB PLAN REJECTED
The University of Cambridge has said that research into life-threatening
conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s
diseases will be “deeply damaged” following the rejection
of its proposals to build a new animal research laboratory. But animal
rights activists claim the research is scientifically flawed and causes
unnecessary harm to animals. The proposed centre near the village of Girton,
north of Cambridge, has attracted
controversy, with local council officials arguing it will attract the
violent protests witnessed against the local bioscience company Huntingdon
Life Sciences. Cambridgeshire police said the site would attract demonstrations
which would “result in road blockages and a serious danger to public
safety.” Source: The Guardian 6th February 2002
ANOTHER BLOW FOR CRUEL HUNTINGDON LAB
Just over a year ago, the notorious animal testing lab, Huntingdon Life
Sciences (HLS) was pushed to the edge of bankruptcy when the Royal Bank
of Scotland cancelled a 22.5million pounds loan. This action came in the
wake of revelations of extreme cruelty and abuse of animals. An undercover
film showed 4 month old puppies being punched and thrown against the wall.
Technicians were filmed laughing at and mocking a tied down frightened
monkey, while squirting lubricant into his mouth. Since January 2001,
Stephens Inc. had been the focus of an intense pressure campaign by the
leading organisation in the campaign to close down HLS, the Stop Huntingdon
Animal Cruelty (SHAC), due to its role as the largest investor and primary
financier of HLS. On
January 8th 2002 Stephens Inc. announced it would be selling all of its
shares and debt investments in the beleaguered lab. This public announcement
leaves HLS in its most precarious position to date. Its share price is
currently 1/1000th of a cent and its new shell company Life Sciences Research
(LSR) is consequently unable to quote on any stock exchange. In the wake
of this major victory, the SHAC has now called an end to its campaign
against Stephens Inc.
PLEASE JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN
During the year 2000 the British Union of Anti-Vivisectionists (BUAV)
conducted an undercover investigation into the despicable trade in wild-caught
baboons, from Tanzania, for international research laboratories. Their
investigators uncovered the suffering inherent in this cruel trade. Sometimes
whole families, including suckling infants, were trapped in the wild and
kept in most cruel conditions before being shipped off around the world
for
vivisection. The appalling cruelty sparked an international postcard campaign,
initiated by the BUAV. A supply of postcards has been sent to SAAV and
we ask our members to join in this international campaign by completing
and posting off the enclosed cards.
