German Animal Lab Tries To Use Law To Hide From Exposure
 

Disgraced animal testing laboratory, Covance, (Munster, Germany - HQ in Harrogate, UK) is taking legal action to stop government enforcement of surveillance cameras in all its animal rooms to monitor staff behaviour. The order to install cameras came from the German authorities, following a shocking undercover exposé at Covance by a German investigator working for leading UK anti-vivisection campaigners, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV).

Sedated monkey being 'exsanguinated' (bled to death) by cutting major arteries of the neck and legs before post mortem
   (c) BUAV/R&D

Covance has also tried to silence German journalist Friedrich Mülln who was employed by the BUAV to work undercover at Covance to expose the animal suffering there. Covance obtained an injunction against  Mr Mülln at a secret hearing in an attempt to stop him distributing the disturbing undercover footage. The BUAV (which itself is not subject to an injunction) has pledged to help Mr Mülln overturn the injunction.

The BUAV's five month investigation revealed the daily suffering of monkeys (including heavily pregnant females) subjected to the abhorrent routine of pharmaceutical toxicity testing, tormented by certain staff, separated from each other, isolated in barren cages, exhibiting mentally disturbed behaviour, regularly and forcibly pumped full of drugs and eventually killed.  

Anaesthetised monkey tied to crude wire rack for spinal fluid extraction

(c) BUAV/R&D

When the BUAV's astonishing footage was launched on German television in December 2002, the German authorities immediately began an investigation into the possibility that Covance was breaching German Animal Welfare legislation and started proceedings to withdraw its license to experiment on animals. The BUAV also believes that the conditions at Covance breach European law.

Covance has been ordered to install video surveillance in all its animal rooms in Munster, to monitor the behaviour of its animal technicians in the future.  The BUAV's investigator caught on camera certain staff being physically as well as verbally aggressive to the animals. Staff can be seen entertaining themselves by forcing monkeys to 'dance' to disco music on the radio, even during testing procedures. 

However, seemingly reluctant to reveal any more of what goes on behind its closed doors, Covance has started legal action to try and reverse this decision. Covance claims that installing cameras would be too expensive and risk leaking company secrets. The BUAV view is that Covance's biggest secret has already been exposed - that hundreds of monkeys suffer appalling treatment and conditions at its lab.
The monkeys are kept in tiny, barren, metal cages
(c) BUAV/R&D

Wendy Higgins, BUAV Campaigns Director, said, "These are pitiful excuses from Covance. As one of the largest contract testing companies in the world with 2002 revenues stated as $883 million, it can easily afford to install cameras.  Covance isn't afraid to spend its profits, it's afraid to let people see the horror of what really goes on inside a typical animal lab. Animal experiments are routinely shrouded in secrecy. Due to the appalling conditions the BUAV exposed, it is quite right that Covance should be forced to monitor its staff and enable regulators also to keep an eye on the company. It is shameful that after Covance has been caught red-handed, it is even considering blocking this small concession to public accountability."

Regarding the injunction of the BUAV's investigator, Ms Higgins continued,  "Regrettably this is the typical response of a company that has been caught out. Rather than hold its hands up and admit that what the BUAV found was shocking, it is trying to cover up the truth and prevent the media and the public from seeing the way monkeys are treated at one of its international labs. People have a right to know the truth about animal experiments and the fact that Covance has chosen to injunct just demonstrates how much they have to hide."

An investigation into the county veterinarian, Mr Otto, who was in charge of monitoring the facility, is also under way.
 

See more images and watch excerpts from the undercover video on the BUAV site