A day in the life of a laboratory monkey
This account, provided by One Voice, offers a glimpse into the daily lives of the 3,500 primates that are exploited each year by laboratories in France. Nearly 2,400 of them are put to death. These snippets of life are taken from several “individual files” on animals used in experiments. These animals have died (causes of death not disclosed) or, in much smaller numbers, been sold on to other laboratories to endure further suffering and fear. One Voice rarely obtains these extracts from documents that are supposed to be public, and very often has to fight in court to do so.
“They” are the laboratories which do not want us to know what really goes on behind their walls. While waiting for all the documents that the CNRS and the University of Aix-Marseille have been ordered to submit to us at the end of November, we have assembled, from the first partial documents received and old documents and photographs from other places, extracts of what these sentient beings are going through.
It is this cruel and painful reality that laboratories are trying to hide behind “welfare” criteria.
8am
I wake up to the sound of keys and metal doors. The neon lights come on suddenly, without warning. I curl up at the back of my cold cage. Since I arrived at this new laboratory, I never know what’s going to happen.
9am
I hear the other monkeys panicking. Screams. Banging on the cages. Some bite the bars, sometimes bleeding from their teeth. Some fight each other, out of fear, like me. My heart is beating too fast. I cannot calm down. They give me food, but it tastes different now. They say the “cocaine protocol” is starting. I’ve been feeling different things in my body ever since. I have no choice, it’s the only food available.
10am
They open my neighbour’s cage. They grab him by the neck with their metal rod. He screams, clings on. They drag him out by force. Another companion had a fingernail ripped out like that. And he didn’t return to his cage yesterday. I see and hear everything. Now I’m screaming. I’m next.
A little later
I often lose track of time because of all the things they inject me with. They force me into a system that immobilises me. Motionless, powerless, constrained. Frightened. The fruit compote given as a “reward” has never been enough. Each time is just as painful. They connect wires to my body. They operated on me to install equipment in my chest, I don’t remember when. I’m undergoing electric shocks now, more intense every day. Today the shocks were very strong. My hand and foot are shaking without me wanting them to. They’ve been giving me more injections for several days now. They say my device has become infected. I remain motionless. I have no choice. I’m in pain.
Back in the cage
The door closes. Silence returns, but not calm. I feel sick, I vomit a lot. I am afraid. All the time. They write things down on their sheets of paper. I endure every minute, every hour. At first I had hope. Freedom, all the time. Now I wait for the end, again. My name is Eliot, don’t forget me.
Eliot’s story is also that of around 3,500 primates that they exploit every year in France. “They” are the laboratories. 90% of the animal experiments they carry out are not required by law.
For Eliot and all the others, take action with us: