Silver Spring monkeys

Silver Spring monkeys were a group of 17 wild-born macaque monkeys from the Philippines who were kept in the Institute for Behavioral Research in Silver Spring, Maryland. From 1981 to 1991, these monkeys became famous internationally, as a result of a battle between animal researchers, animal advocates, politicians, and the courts over whether to use them in research.

History

The Silver Spring monkeys were brought to the United States in 1981 by Edward Taub, a psychologist and a neuroplasticity researcher. Taub used the monkeys for a study on neuroplasticity, involving deafferentation, a technique in which the sensory nerves are cut off from the spinal cord.

Controversy

The controversy began in 1981 when Alex Pacheco of the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) went undercover in Taub's lab as a volunteer. Pacheco took photographs and called the police, leading to the first police raid in the United States against an animal researcher. Taub was convicted of six counts of cruelty to animals, but the conviction was overturned on appeal.

Aftermath

The monkeys were kept in a lab for ten years during the legal battle. In 1991, they were killed by lethal injection, following a decision by U.S. Supreme Court. The case led to the amendment of the Animal Welfare Act and has been cited in debates on animal rights and animal testing.

See also

• Animal rights
• Animal testing
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

References

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