Experiments on live animals filmed

Press, 25 August 1983, Page 19

Experiments on live animals filmed

Controversial experiments on live animals at secret research laboratories, have been filmed for the first time in ’’Animal Passions,” an Anglia Television documentary screening on One at 10.20 tomorrow night.

Permission to film at certain laboratories was given only on condition that the name, locality and identity of those conducting experiments were not revealed for fear of being attacked by extremists of the anti-viv-isection lobby. Surprisingly, Anglia Television was allowed to film at the Institute of Animal Physiology at Babraham Hall near Cambridge. The institute has been the target of a hostile campaign since Animal Liberation Front members broke in and stole pictures of animals which had been experimented on.

Some 4.5 million experiments a year are carried out on animals at nearly 600 licensed research laboratories in Britain. Most of the animals are rats but public concern is reserved for the 11,500 dogs and 7000 cats.

Most drugs intended for human consumption must, by law, be first tested on primates — usually baboons. Of the 5000 primates used the majority are

caught in the wild and this has caused serious concern for the survival of some species.

This film shows experiments being carried out on baboons, rabbits, dogs and rats including the controversial LDSO test (lethal dose 50 per cent) and the forced inhalation of cigarette smoke. The producer, Bill Smith, says that viewers may find much of what is shown alarming and distressing but that the film tries to present both sides of what is an extremely emotive issue.

At Babraham Hall the cameras were allowed to film the first successful crossing of a sheep and a goat but were not permitted to film a goat which had had a mammary gland successfully transplanted on to its neck. However, Dr Barry Cross, Babraham’s director, did agree to talk about the operation, which was carried out to study milk production. Ms Angela Walder, scientific adviser to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, says: “I think the fundamental reason why animals shouldn’t be used in research is because we know full well that although they may not be able to reason, they can feel pain in much the same way as we can.”