Texas monkey prison plans scrapped by Charles River Laboratories - will Bainbridge be next?
Charles River Laboratories, the largest importer of monkeys for laboratory experiments, has scrapped plans to build a facility for 43,200 primates on 539 acres of ecologically sensitive land in Texas.
Photo: PETA
Charles River Laboratories has scrapped plans to build a monkey-holding facility in Brazoria Corner, a quiet corner of Texas, following outrage from local residents and animal advocacy organizations.
The $12 billion biomedical research company purchased 539 acres of Columbia Bottomlands in 2023, with plans to build a facility capable of housing 43,200 primates. However, in a move welcomed by opponents of the project, the firm is now selling the land, according to an article in The Facts.
“In response to current trends in the research industry and client needs, the company is reassessing our cost structure, reevaluating site plans, reducing headcount, and being disciplined with future investments,” company spokesperson Bruce Haynes said Tuesday after meeting with Brazoria County Commissioner David Linder. “As a part of this assessment, we will reduce capital investments where possible and this decision is a part of that process.”
Linder celebrated the decision to spare his town from the plans: “I was very pleased with my meeting Tuesday with Charles River representative Bruce Haynes and was happy to hear that they have made the decision to sell their property,” Linder said in a text to The Facts. “I want to be very clear that all along I’ve been stating that I’m for and support the advancement of modern medicine and support the required medical research in discovering cures to some of the horrible diseases we as humans face.
“What I was fiercely opposed to and expressed my position clearly multiple times to the Charles River representatives was the location of the property and a facility of this type being located in the low-lying Columbia Bottomlands along the San Bernard River,” continued Linder. “I also shared my concerns for a facility of this type to be located in a hurricane-prone area. God forbid a Cat 4 or 5 hurricane, but what would one do with thousands of monkeys? I just felt like there were many other areas or counties much better suited for this type of facility.”
Charles River bought the 539 acres of land under a shell company, Kandurt, LLC, without publicly disclosing the plans. Their intention to build the primate quarantine facility started coming to light in the summer of 2023 when Kandurt representatives informally spoke to neighbors with adjoining properties along the private road, according to The Facts. Alarmed about thousands of monkeys being housed in the environmentally sensitive Columbia Bottomlands, the neighbors reached out to others who could fight against the plans.
Credit: PETA
This triggered a strong response from local communities and animal advocacy groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who rallied to stop the facility. A petition gathered thousands of signatures, a Facebook group was launched, and PETA funded a billboard, mailed letters to 4,000 residents, ran online public service announcements, and submitted a proposal urging Charles River shareholders to abandon the project.
“Thanks to the kind residents of Brazoria County, Charles River won’t risk environmental damage or the public’s health by imprisoning 43,000 traumatized monkeys in southeast Texas,” said PETA primate scientist Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel. “PETA is proud to have helped protect the community and calls on Charles River to switch to animal-free research methods and keep monkey prisons out of its plans.”
The proposed facility was expected to generate 100,000 gallons of liquid waste daily, threatening the nearby San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge and San Bernard River. There were also concerns about contamination from monkeys’ bodily fluids, including saliva and blood. Monkeys used in research often carry dangerous pathogens such as herpes B, tuberculosis, Ebola-like viruses, and simian hemorrhagic fever. Escapes from similar primate labs in Texas have also been reported.
“I would like to thank the officials and residents of Brazoria and Matagorda counties for raising their voices to stand up for what they know is right in the situation with Charles River Laboratories," said East Columbia Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitator Sheryl Rogers who started the petition and Facebook page. "Thank you to The Facts for their coverage. Thank you to PETA, specifically Dr. Jones-Engel, for bringing the news of the proposed project to our attention. Without her sounding the alarm, we might be looking at a much different scenario.
“Thankfully, Charles River has reconsidered. I am sure, in part, because of the pushback from our residents and backing by our officials. While that is not the only reason, I am relieved that they are abandoning this project.”
Photo: Amy Jones/Moving Animals
Meanwhile, the fight to prevent a similar facility planned on ecologically vulnerable land in Bainbridge County, Georgia continues.
If approved, the $396 million facility by Safer Human Medicine would house 30,000 long-tailed macaques for pharmaceutical testing. In August, residents filed a second lawsuit to block the proposal, and are collaborating closely with PETA.
As well as ethical concerns about controversial animal tests, residents are worried about the potential environmental and human health fears of housing tens of thousands of primates in confined conditions.
Signs reading “STOP THE MONKEY FARM” are displayed outside homes and businesses across the town, while more than 1,100 people have joined the Facebook group, Stand Up Bainbridge GA! A Call to Action!
To learn more, listen to this podcast episode: S11. E5: Lisa Jones-Engel: Stop the Georgia Monkey Farm. Please join Species Unite in speaking out against the Bainbridge plans by signing our petition here.
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