Animal Care
The CNPRC houses approximately 4,700 monkeys for research and breeding. The majority of these monkeys are rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), with small populations of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) and South American titi monkeys (Callicebus moloch).
Approximately
800 infants are born each year, primarily in the spring. The center
also houses a geriatric colony of about 130 monkeys, ranging in age
up to 36 years.
The CNPRC is focused on expanding its colony of "specific pathogen free" or SPF monkeys, which currently number around 580. SPF monkeys are bred to be free of several viruses that, while harmless to monkeys, can have severe and sometimes fatal consequences if contracted by humans.
Six staff veterinarians, one veterinary resident and animal technicians provide state of the art care as well as provide research support for the center's monkeys. The animal care staff - about 85 individuals - feed the animals, clean the cages, transfer animals when necessary and monitor for any illness or unusual behaviors. In addition, a staff of four "enrichment" specialists is dedicated exclusively to promoting the psychological well-being of the animals in our care.
For
example, these individuals provide indoor monkeys with social enrichment
by identifying an appropriate partner to pair them with during the
day.
Proposals for research studies involving monkeys must be reviewed and approved by multiple campus committees. These studies require prior approval by the UC Davis Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), which ensures that the project meets all federal laws governing animal care and use. Projects are reviewed internally by the CNPRC Research Advisory Committee.
The UC Davis campus, which includes CNPRC, is accredited by the Association
for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC),
a private, nonprofit group that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation. UC Davis is one of more than 640 research institutions and other organizations that have earned AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating its commitment to responsible animal care and use.
In addition, the CNPRC receives unannounced inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as required by the Animal Welfare Act, and inspections by the Food and Drug Administration as well.
