PETA Files Federal Complaint on Death of Monkey Denied Veterinary Care at OHSU Primate Center

For Immediate Release:
April 17, 2025

Contact:
Tasgola Bruner 202-483-7382

In a complaint filed today, PETA urges the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) following multiple violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act at the university’s national primate research center—including a critical violation citing OHSU for a young Japanese macaque who died of sepsis after staff ignored her symptoms and failed to provide medical attention. The primate center is funded by NIH and required to adhere to federal laws and animal care guidelines.

Just-released reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveal that the 4-year-old macaque was showing signs of illness and distress, but experimenters failed to alert veterinarians. She was found dead the next day with swollen arms and joints. A necropsy showed she suffered from an underlying bacterial skin infection that led to sepsis.

Dozens of other Japanese macaques were confined for nearly 100 hours in cages that were too small for their bodies, and other macaque enclosures were rusty, filthy, and falling apart.

PETA’s complaint notes that the university appears to have failed to report these violations to the NIH, a legal requirement.

“OHSU’s primate center appears to be incapable of adhering to the most basic requirements under the law, including veterinary care and safe, adequate housing,” says PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo. “NIH should cut funding immediately, and OHSU should close the primate center and provide the monkeys with lifetime care in a reputable sanctuary.”

The primate center at OHSU uses approximately 1,200 monkeys in painful and deadly experiments each year, and confines 4,000 or more for breeding and other purposes. In recent weeks, 10,000 Oregonians have called for its closure.

In nature, macaques live in large groups and focus intensely on social relationships. Infant macaques are adored, and female macaques remain in their birth group for life.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.