A proactive campaign by EARA member the Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI), has made a determined response to a large protest, conducted by animal activists, outside its buildings in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, last weekend.
Ingeniously, on the day of the protest, ESI put up large banners in view of the protesters, calling for ‘Respekt’ (pictured below). The banners included QR codes where people could find out more information on the ESI website about the animal research conducted at the institute and its importance for the treatment and cure of disease.
In addition, a robust press release published by ESI, described the mass protest, by a coalition of activist groups, including PETA Deutschland, SOKO Tierschutz and Doctors Against Animal Experiments, as ‘based on deliberate misunderstandings, false information and blatant fake news’.
The activist campaign has used ‘undercover’ filming and photos showing macaque monkeys and a rat that have had a head post implanted for the purposes of research – a head post is a legally approved procedure for studies of the brain.
The activist groups have made a specific claim that the procedure led to the death of the rat, and this has been countered by ESI which told the press that “The death of the rat in question was not related to animal testing”. The Frankfurt prosecutor’s office has now received a criminal complaint from the activists about the matter. On the subject of the macaques, the accusations about welfare were general, rather than specific, claiming that ‘senseless, cruel brain experiments have been carried out on helpless monkeys’ and that ‘around 38 monkeys are spending their lives in miserable conditions in the institute and are not receiving adequate veterinary care’.
The activists want to see all animals at ESI rehomed, no more permits issued and research with animals stopped. Both EARA and the German animal research advocacy body TVV were informed early on and offered their assistance.
In the press release, Prof. David Poeppel, managing director of ESI, added: “We categorically reject all these allegations! The well-being of the animals is of the utmost priority for us. Our world-renowned researchers and highly qualified professionals work according to the highest ethical standards and are meticulously compliant with the law!”
While Prof. Wolf Singer, founding director of ESI, said. “Our research on animals is crucial for understanding fundamental biological mechanisms and developing new diagnostic and treatment methods for serious diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
“Research on non-human primates is particularly important because these animals are very similar to humans in their biological and neurological structure. Without this research, we would not be able to develop effective therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders.”
In recent weeks, ESI said it had faced an increasing number of threats that have moved beyond rational debate and endangered the safety of its staff. “These attacks sabotage our work and pose a serious threat to scientific progress,” explained Prof. Poeppel. “We stand firmly by our employees and will protect them during this challenging time.”
The release also said that the current campaign threatened not only the institute itself, but also the scientific future of Germany. “If we hinder research here, these important works will move to countries with less stringent ethical standards, such as China,” warned Prof. Poeppel. “Germany must remain a leading location for scientific research, and for that, we need the full range of methods, including animal testing.”
EARA executive director, Kirk Leech, said: “The response by the Ernst Strüngmann Institute has been firm and comprehensive, and we applaud its actions in taking the challenge to the activists and making every effort to supply the public with a balanced narrative about the research it conducts using animals.”
As well as being an EARA member, ESI is part of the German Transparency Agreement on animal research and has had information on its research with animals on its website for a long time, including videos and statements by individual researchers.
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