A formal investigation has been opened into the treatment of monkeys used for brain research at York University in Toronto, Canada. A whistleblower recorded disturbing footage inside the laboratory.
The university is home to at least nine macaque monkeys. The animals are used for research into how the brain controls vision and movement.
Between September 2024 and March 2025, a person working inside the lab secretly filmed the animals. The person shared the footage with an animal rights organisation called Last Chance for Animals.
The footage showed that the monkeys had metal posts attached to their heads and small devices implanted near their brains.
The head posts are fixed directly to the animal’s skull using screws. The process requires cutting through the skin and drilling into the bone.
These posts are used to keep the monkeys completely still during experiments. The brain implants have removable covers that allow researchers to access the brain directly during studies.
Some animals were seen repeatedly moving back and forth in their cages, scratching at the devices on their heads, and having difficulty swallowing due to tight collars around their necks.
Deeply troubling
Health records from the lab, covering the period from 2009 to 2025, reportedly showed multiple cases of infection around the implants, as well as 15 incidents of monkeys escaping their cages, sometimes injuring themselves in the process.
Animal welfare experts who reviewed the materials described the conditions as deeply troubling.
A veterinarian who examined the evidence said the animals appeared to be experiencing physical and mental suffering, and argued that such conditions could even affect the reliability of the scientific results.
A primatologist reached a similar conclusion, stating that the monkeys showed clear signs of pain, anxiety and depression.
York University denies that any rules have been broken. The university says its animals receive continuous monitoring from qualified veterinarians, and that all research meets Canadian regulatory standards.
The investigation is being carried out by the Canadian Council on Animal Care, the national body responsible for setting standards for the use of animals in research.
The council has confirmed it has begun the process and is in contact with all parties involved.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theanimalreader.com
