PETA releases footage of newborn macaques subjected to brain experiments in Washington lab

PETA published video taken inside the University of Washington's National Primate Research Center that shows newborn macaque infants, only a few days old, fitted with head electrodes for neurological testing. The footage, recorded from 2017 to 2019, captures the animals being separated from their mothers, placed on blankets, and subjected to experiments assessing the effects of domoic acid, a toxin produced by marine algae, on brain development.

According to project documents, pregnant macaque females were administered daily doses of the toxin, and after birth, most of the infants were artificially fed and kept in incubators before being moved to individual cages for testing. Critics, including primate behavior specialist Malene Hansen, argue that maternal separation raises serious ethical concerns and may compromise both animal welfare and scientific validity.

The university maintains that the research contributed valuable insights into prenatal toxin exposure and its relevance to public health. PETA calls for the closure of all seven U.S. national primate research centers.