Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1986. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - December 8, 1986
The animals were stolen from the SEMA Inc. biomedical research laboratory. Dr. Jere Phillips, veterinarian in charge at the laboratory, said today the chimpanzees were discovered missing about 7:30 A.M. Sunday.
"They have been taken," Dr. Phillips said. "It's under investigation now."
He said officials have not determined exactly how or when the theft occurred.
Ingrid Newkirk, a spokeswoman for People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, said another group named True Friends had claimed responsibility for taking the animals.
"We are their mouthpiece," she said. "What they say is what we say. They are busy and have animals on their hands at the moment."
She said the chimpanzees were taken because they were slated to be used for AIDS and hepatitis research and that animals at the lab were not given proper care.
Dr. Phillips disputed her assertions.
"Our facility is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care. We are routinely inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture," he said. He said the last inspection was about a month ago.
Dr. Phillips said the 14-year-old facility, which is privately run but gets money from and does research for the National Institutes of Health, has about 600 primates on the premises for research on hepatitis, influenza and chemical carcinogens.
He said the AIDS research to date "has been very low key."
He said the chimps that were taken had not been used in any experiment yet.
The police in Rockville said the laboratory is on property owned by the National Institutes of Health, the news agency Reuters reported. The news agency said the group Ms. Newkirk represents had said it would make public films and records seized at the laboratory. The group said the records would show that dozens of animals had died at the laboratory and that others had gone mad while sealed in isolation chambers.
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