The Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC) in the Netherlands is a nonprofit laboratory dedicated to testing some of the world’s most dangerous viruses and diseases on live monkeys. While animal rights activists have long criticized such practices, Vice News was recently granted rare access to the facility, allowing for an unprecedented look into how these tests are conducted and whether animal welfare can go hand-in-hand with scientific research.
The BPRC is not only one of the more progressive primate research centres when it comes to animal welfare, but also Europe’s largest such facility. This means that researchers are able to make advancements in medical science which wouldn’t be possible without this important work. For example, vaccines for polio and treatments for HIV/AIDS were only made possible through testing on non-human subjects.
In order to gain insight into this compelling story and understand how animal testing can be both beneficial to science and humane towards animals, viewers should watch Vice News’ documentary ‘Testing on Monkeys’. By doing so, they will get an inside look into the BPRC’s operations, as well as witness first-hand what goes on behind closed doors. Through this unique exploration of a difficult issue, viewers will gain an understanding of the importance of research involving non-human subjects and recognize its potential impact on global health.
