EXPANSION OF CHIMPANZEE HOLDING FACILITIES

西南路易斯安那大学新伊比利亚研究中心（USL-NIRC）目前通过国家神经疾病和中风研究所和国家研究资源中心的支持维持着246只黑猩猩（Pan troglodytes）。1997年，国家研究资源中心实施了为期五年的暂停繁殖措施，有效地降低了目前的运营成本，并最大限度地减少了向系统中增加额外动物的直接压力。与暂停一致，USL-NIRC通过在育龄女性中应用左炔诺孕酮植入物，在不破坏家庭群体或永久改变分配给该计划的雄性或雌性动物的情况下最大限度地降低了出生率。然而，在足够的空间容纳过去10至12年生产的动物方面仍然存在严重问题。目前，大量1至12岁的动物被圈养在家庭群体和同龄群体中。随着这些动物接近成熟期及以后，必须提供额外的空间，以维持健康和可用的黑猩猩种群，供生物医学和行为研究社区使用。我们建议将USL-NIRC约10，000平方英尺的现有设施翻新为大型室内/室外饲养笼，专门用于容纳出生在该系统中的成熟动物。此外，我们建议，长期战略包括从其他设施搬迁动物，因此巩固国家的努力，以保持黑猩猩准备使用的生物医学和行为研究社区。

The University of Southwestern Louisiana New Iberia Research Center (USL-NIRC) currently maintains 246 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) through support by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Strokes and the National Center for Research Resources. A five year moratorium on breeding imposed by the National Center for Research Resources in 1997 has effectively reduced current operating costs and has minimized the immediate strain of adding additional animals into the systems. Consistent with the moratorium, USL-NIRC has minimized the birth rate without disrupting family groups or permanently altering male or female animals assigned to the program by applying levonorgestrel implants in breeding age females. There still remains, however, a serious problem in regards to adequate space to accommodate animals which have been produced in the last 10 to 12 years. A large population of animals between the ages of 1 and 12 years are currently being housed in family groups and as peer groups. As these animals approach maturity and beyond it will be imperative that additional space is provided to maintain a health and available population of chimpanzees for access by biomedical and behavioral research communities. We are proposing to renovate approximately 10,000 square feet of existing facilities at the USL-NIRC into large indoor/outdoor holding cages with the specific aim of accommodating maturing animals which have been born into the system. In addition we propose that long term strategies include relocating animals from other facilities, therefore consolidating the national efforts to maintain chimpanzees for ready use by the biomedical and behavioral research communities.