>https://abc7chicago.com/43-primates-loose-south-carolina-town-after-escaping-research-lab/15523058/
I feel like this might be a sleeper story.
how the hell do monkeys escape a vivarium?
All research animals have to be kept in very specific spaces. I know this, I worked in science. You're not allowed to do research in your lab anymore. You have to do it in the vivarium.
In my facility, this vivarium was in the basement and it very secure.
So who let the monkeys out?
And why?
ANIMAL RESEARCH RULES (AI GENERATED)
In the U.S., animal research generally needs to be conducted within a vivarium or another dedicated animal facility that meets specific regulatory standards. Researchers cannot usually conduct animal experiments in standard lab spaces outside of these approved facilities. Here’s why:
Federal Regulations and Oversight: Research involving animals is regulated by the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Both require that animal facilities, including vivariums, comply with stringent standards for housing, care, and handling of animals to ensure their welfare and minimize pain and distress.
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC): All research institutions in the U.S. conducting animal research must have an IACUC that reviews and approves protocols involving animals. The IACUC ensures that facilities, procedures, and spaces meet the necessary welfare and ethical guidelines. Vivariums are inspected to meet these standards, whereas standard labs typically aren’t.
Environmental Control and Biosecurity: Vivariums are specially designed for animal housing and research. They provide controlled environments that maintain specific temperatures, humidity levels, air filtration, and lighting cycles tailored to the species. This environment is difficult to replicate in a typical laboratory, which could impact both animal welfare and the validity of experimental results.
Compliance with Health and Safety Standards: Animal research often involves specific biosafety levels (BSL), depending on the organisms or agents involved. Vivariums are set up to handle these conditions, ensuring both human and animal health and safety.
In rare cases, if an experiment requires conducting procedures in a standard lab setting, researchers must get special approval from their institution’s IACUC, which may impose strict guidelines or require modifications to ensure that animal welfare standards are met.