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）目前在国家神经疾病和中风研究所和国家研究资源中心的支持下，维持着246只黑猩猩（Pan troglodytes）。1997年，国家研究资源中心（National Center for Research Resources）颁布了一项为期五年的暂停繁殖令，这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添加额外动物的直接压力。与禁令一致，USL-NIRC通过在育龄雌性动物中植入左炔诺孕酮，在不扰乱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，将出生率降至最低。然而，仍然存在一个严重的问题，即是否有足够的空间来容纳过去10至12年生产的动物。目前，一大批年龄在1至12岁之间的动物被安置在家庭群体和同伴群体中。随着这些动物接近成熟期，为生物医学和行为研究团体提供额外的空间来保持健康和可用的黑猩猩种群将是势在必行的。我们建议将USL-NIRC现有的大约1万平方英尺的设施改造成大型室内/室外饲养笼，专门用于容纳系统中出生的成熟动物。此外，我们建议长期战略包括从其他设施重新安置动物，从而巩固国家的努力，以保持黑猩猩为生物医学和行为研究界随时使用。

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.