California National Primate Research Center

The outside of the Primate Research Center. This is the closest unauthorized members of the public are allowed to go.

Web site

http://www.primate.ucdavis.edu

The California National Primate Research Center is a secure research facility located at the end of Hutchison Drive that houses about 4,700 monkeys. The center is controversial to some (see Urban Art for example), leading some detractors to refer to it as the "Monkey Farm". The $24 million facility has made recent discoveries about autism and conducts AIDS research (via SIV studies) among other scientific and medical projects.

The facility has had at least one monkey die accidentally: in February 2002, a monkey crawled into a drain pipe and was killed by an impeller.

Outside the facility — but still part of the center's monkey population — seven (of eight in the room) long-tailed Macaque research monkeys died on August 21, 2004 of heat exhaustion after a heater malfunctioned. The temperature rose from its normal 75 degrees F. to 115 degrees F. The event occurred in the Animal Resources Science building south of campus, which served as an overflow facility for the Primate Center. After this happened the overflow facility was shut down.

There are pages from the CNPRC relating to animal care, why primates are used, and the types of research done.

The California Aggie ran an article on 4/23/09 about a commercial being run by Stop Animal Exploitation Now!, an animal rights group. The commercial uses footage from other animal research centers to paint a poor image of the Primate Research Center, even though "The animals at the primate center are well cared for, the USDA has made 28 unannounced inspections this year and have encountered no violations of federal law." (Andy Fell, director of the UC Davis News Room)

Stories of the facility being "burned down in the '60s" are an urban legend, possibly fueled by the 1987 Animal Liberation Front attack on Thurman Laboratory. In fact, it was constructed during the early 1960s on the site of the old Pierce Ranch.

Security

Much of the "defense/security" is designed to keep humans away from the monkeys so the monkeys don't catch human diseases. Even when they aren't serious health hazards (like the common cold), catching a human disease could seriously skew research results. Visitors have to show that they don't have tuberculosis.

Comments:

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2005-11-07 10:36:50 Yeah, I know. I went there once, and I had to get a paper from my doctor saying I didn't have tuberculosis. —NickSchmalenberger

2005-11-07 11:56:04 This page is generally skewed against the CNPRC. It lists several cases of primates dying because of human/machine error and only a passing reference to the extraordinarily beneficial research they do. I'll clean this up later, try to "unbias" it. —JesseSingh

The only reason it lacks is because those who know haven't added. There have been several people over the years who have commented "I'm going to add some positive info", and none ever did. Please, please add some info. —jw

2007-04-26 15:16:22 I know someone who works here, good times —StevenDaubert

2007-12-26 22:32:34 http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/76 —Easan

2008-03-31 17:48:56 The page faults Primate Freedom for being "misleading," but doesn't say how. Then, it sends links to the CNPRC's official website without any disclaimer. To say this page is biased against the center is bullshit. —TobinJones

2008-08-10 21:58:53 i think the link is wrong for the primate freedom site —MattHh

2008-08-11 13:50:31 Does anybody know what diseases or conditions have been cured or helped via primate research? I don't want to start any kind of big debate here, but I would like to know how such research has benefited us, costs aside.—JoePomidor

An acquaintance of mine is a postdoc in comparative pathology, and he's doing research on SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) and, thereby indirectly, on AIDS. It's tough to do direct research on AIDS for obvious reasons. When it comes to this type of research, I'm all for rounding up monkeys and poking them with needles, as long as it doesn't affect the sustainability of their species, and as long as reasonable measures are taken to minimize their discomfort. —TheAmazingLarry

2008-12-01 16:41:23 The Primate Freedom site is no longer available due to a lawsuit by the University of California to suppress information pertaining to its research staff and activities. (i.e. A SLAPP) —TobinJones

I have a feeling that the lawsuit is designed to protect the privacy of the employees, so this sort of thing doesn't happen to them. Privacy matters aside, it's also completely possible that there is proprietary information of one kind or another out there that isn't meant for free circulation. It's hard to be more specific, because you don't really give any sources or details.
EDIT: I did some extra research, and the reason for the lawsuit is to stop protesters from harassing animal researchers. (For more info go to this link and type in case number SC097145.) I don't understand how a lawsuit designed to keep a website from telling people where those researchers live (presumably so they can go there and attack them or their property) is a SLAPP.—JoePomidor
Woohoo for the lawsuit. -ES

2009-04-23 11:27:01 The spokesperson and executive director of Stops Animal Exploitation Now!, the organization that is running the commercial meant to smear the center, also claimed that "You can't study a human disease in a different species," implying that he has no idea how this type of research works. —JoePomidor

Guessing this is in reference to the article (linked from Uwire) in the Aggie. I believe UCLA isn't the only UC to now refuse to respond to certain requests filed under the Freedom of Information act, due to aforementioned issues (home vandalism (from graffiti, flooding, or fire), car bombings, etc). In full context though, the quote was ""Primates aren't subject to HIV," Budkie said. "You can't study a human disease in a different species."" That's likely a purposefully misleading statement. It is true that they aren't subject to HIV, but SIV is virtually the same thing. There are some differences between HIV and SIV in general, and you can't really cross-infect humans, chimps, and macaque's for example with the same strains (the data on why only came out a few years ago, it's really really interesting). Furthermore, there's lab strains like SHIV that are almost like a combined version, and etc. There's so much to learn. The concept that you can't learn about HIV from SIV is ludicrously incorrect, much less "human" diseases. -ES

2009-04-23 12:24:53 I wish all the crazies who protested these facilities would stop accepting pharmaceuticals. Evolution would then have its intended affect. —condemned2bfree

I don't think you need to resort to calling people crazy just for protesting (as long as it is carried out legally), nor do I think it is reasonable to wish they would be wiped out. Everyone is entitled to voice their opinion in opposition, so long as they aren't causing any damage, which I realize happened here in the past. Some people do refuse to use pharmaceuticals, and in many cases seek out alternative treatments with great success. Cheers!
—aprilaries

Of course, this also means you are entitled to to call them crazies, if that is your opinion! —aprilaries

2009-04-24 16:58:45 In response to an earlier comment, two kinds of research that have benefited humans greatly that have been done on primates, are the testing of drugs used during pregnancy and birth. Which for obvious reasons are rather hard to ethically test on humans. In addition, most drugs on the market for epilepsy also come from primate research. I am not sure how to link to the scientific papers since if you can't see them without a membership. But if you google these two things you should find a fair amount of abstracts on these research subjects. This type of research can't be done on cell culture since it requires multiple organ systems and other animal models (such as mice) are too physically different from us in terms of birth process and brain function to be good research models. I would be happy to give more info if people are interested. —Zeeba