PETA has released video of infant monkeys being tested at the University of Washington's primate center, footage it got through a public records request. The experiments shown ended around 2020, the university says. The release on October 12 has restarted a public argument in Seattle over whether primates should be used in research at all.

What the footage shows

FOX 13 Seattle, which viewed the video, describes infant macaques, some only days old, placed on lab tables with shaved heads and electrodes attached while researchers tracked their development. PETA says it took about seven months to get the footage through the records request.

According to FOX 13, the study looked at how exposure before birth to methylmercury and domoic acid might affect developing young, including harm that might only show up after birth. Domoic acid is a marine toxin that can build up in seafood. Methylmercury can get into the food supply through some fish.

PETA says the infants were exposed to a neurotoxin before birth, separated from their mothers, and tested repeatedly from about two days old, sometimes for months or years.

What the university says

Sally Thompson-Iritani, UW's assistant vice provost for animal care, told FOX 13 the footage is hard to watch, but that the images don't explain why the research was done. She said:

  • These particular experiments ended years ago. UW has more recently used primates in infectious-disease research, but no such study is underway at the facility now.
  • Animal research has given information about health risks that other methods couldn't always provide.
  • Animals are usually euthanized at the end of studies so researchers can examine tissue.
  • Every proposed study is reviewed for whether it's necessary, whether fewer animals could be used, and whether another method could answer the question.
  • UW supports replacing animal research when reliable alternatives exist, but replacing animal models "overnight" isn't realistic.

The center was renamed the Washington National Biomedical Research Center earlier this year. UW says that reflects a broader mission.

What PETA says

Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA's chief science advisor on primate issues and a former UW researcher of 17 years, told FOX 13 it "doesn't really matter" that the experiments were six years ago. She says experiments on newborn macaques continue at UW, and that modern methods make them unnecessary. PETA calls the new name a rebrand and wants the center closed.

PETA also points to a 2021 King County Superior Court ruling that found UW had violated Washington's Public Records Act.

What we know and don't know yet

We know what's in the released video and what both sides say about it. We don't have an independent account of what primate research is happening at UW today. PETA says newborns are still used; the university says there's no infectious-disease primate study running now. Those claims aren't directly comparable, and neither has been tested in a ruling or inspection that we've seen.

Why it matters for animals

Macaques are social, intelligent animals, and infants depend on their mothers. That's why footage like this lands hard with the public. It's also why the debate keeps coming back to one practical question: how fast can non-animal methods take over, and who decides when they're good enough?

What you can do

  • Read both sides in full before sharing clips. The context of when and why a study ran matters.
  • Contact your elected representatives if you want public research funding to move toward non-animal methods.
  • Support named organizations that fund or promote animal-free research, and check how they spend donations.

Sources