Nearly 2.7 Million Procedures: The Hidden Horrors of Animal Testing in British Labs in 2023

Today, the Home Office revealed a staggering statistic: in 2023, 2,681,686 procedures were carried out on animals in British laboratories. 

Experimenters subject animals to indescribable horrors: they infect them with Zika virus or tuberculosis, electrocute them, or drill holes in their skulls before killing them – sometimes by decapitation. These nightmarish procedures are still legal in Britain. 

Nearly half of all primates used in experiments were born to wild-caught parents and 99% of the crab-eating macaques, a seriously threatened species, used in British laboratories in 2023, were imported from Africa and Asia.

The Labour party committed to phasing out animal testing, a promise that garnered significant support during this year’s general election. PETA is urging the government to prioritise this commitment by implementing the steps outlined in PETA’s Research Modernisation Deal immediately. Failure to fulfil this promise and apply it to all experiments and species will not only betray millions of animals but also hinder progress in finding cures for human diseases. 

Poisoning and Electrocuting Animals Is Legal in Britain

In Britain, animals can legally be abused in myriad ways, including being bled, poisoned, or deprived of food, water, or sleep. They may be subjected to psychological distress and brain damage or be deliberately infected with diseases, paralysed, burned, gassed, force-fed toxic substances, or electrocuted. Ultimately, they are usually killed. 

Here are some heart-wrenching examples of how animals of different species, from chickens to mice, suffer in the frightful experiments sanctioned by the Home Office: 

Mice in Glasgow Were Infected With Zika Virus and Killed

In Glasgow, experimenters exposed 2–month–old mice to mosquitoes infected with the Zika virus. After allowing the mosquitoes to feed on the mice for 20 minutes, experimenters observed the disease progression in the young mice. Some had to be euthanised after a week due to severe reactions to the infection.  

Experimenters in Glasgow Simulated Heart Attack in Rabbits 

In another distressing experiment in Glasgow, experimenters sedated dozens of rabbits and performed invasive surgery on them. They cut open the rabbits to access their hearts and tied off the arteries of some to simulate a heart attack. This procedure severely damaged the heart muscle, which was the intended outcome. Some rabbits died soon after the surgery, and experimenters killed and dissected those who survived. 

Experimenters in London Subjected Mice to Brain Injury Then Decapitated Them 

At a university in London, experimenters anaesthetised four- to five-week-old mice, surgically opened their skulls, and drove a pneumatic bore into their brain. This violent act simulated a traumatic brain injury, leaving their brains irreparably damaged. After patching up the mice’s skulls, experimenters forced them to endure head trauma six times in 24 hours, every two days, for several days. 

Imagine the fear and confusion these young mice felt as they were repeatedly subjected to such horrific treatment. Their tiny bodies and minds, already traumatised, were then put through a series of tests. Startled by sudden noises and forced to balance on a narrow beam, the mice struggled to perform basic tasks, displaying significant impairments in their neurological functions. Despite their distress and suffering, they were forced to try to navigate these challenges with damaged brains. 

In the end, the experimenters killed and decapitated the animals, ending their short lives – which were full of pain and fear. 

Cambridge Experimenters Deliberately Broke Rabbits’ Bones

In Cambridge, experimenters sedated 18 rabbits and injected a drug into a vein inside their left ear. Then, they cut open the rabbits’ front legs, broke one of the bones, and cut apart a ligament.  

The suffering of the rabbits was prolonged by inadequate pain relief and the stress of repeated surgical attempts. During surgery, experimenters sometimes struggled to insert a tube down the animals’ throats, risking additional tissue damage. One rabbit, suffering from persistent rapid breathing, couldn’t undergo the surgery and was excluded from the study. Two other rabbits experienced severe complications post-surgery and were killed. 

After the surgery, almost all the rabbits lost weight, indicating their immense suffering. In the end, all the rabbits were killed and dissected. 

Mice’s Skulls Were Painted With Glue and Drilled Into in London 

Experimenters sedated and then clamped the heads of 10 mice aged 2 to 4 months to a frame, immobilising them. They removed the mice’s scalps, painted their skulls with glue and nail polish, and drilled holes in them to implant electrodes in their brains. A week later, the mice were connected to devices that sent electrical currents through their brains. Just imagine the terror and helplessness these young mice must have felt. 

Mice Received Botulinum Toxin Injections 

In one laboratory, experimenters injected mice with the toxin botulinum – which is used in anti-wrinkle injections such as Botox – to observe how these sensitive animals perceive pain. 

The mice were gassed to render them unconscious, and the substance was injected into their spinal cord. The experimenters deliberately damaged nerves in one leg of some mice to make them hypersensitive to pain. Following these invasive procedures, experimenters repeatedly subjected the animals to additional tests, such as placing them in a plexiglass box with a device used to assess pain responses and observing the extent to which the mice tried to lift their paws off the painful device, as a measure of their suffering. Tormentors also applied acetone, a solution which causes a freezing sensation, to the mice’s feet and recorded the time the animals spent licking and biting their paws. 

The mice were later placed in mazes, where they attempted to navigate their way to freedom – unaware that there was no way out. At the end of the experiment, the mice were killed and their bodies were dissected. From the initial injection to the painful tests and the hopeless maze, their short lives were filled with suffering and distress. 

Chickens Were Exposed to Newcastle Disease Virus 

In this deadly experiment, 48 8-week-old white leghorn chicks were used to test a vaccine. They were exposed to the Newcastle disease virus – a lethal virus that often affects birds who are exploited for their flesh or eggs and forced to live on crowded commercial farms. Many of the chicks died from the infection or had to be euthanised due to the severity of their suffering.  

These birds experienced heartbreaking symptoms, including weight loss, ruffled feathers, drooped wings, lethargy, discharge from their eyes, loss of balance, and paralysis. Their distress was evident as they struggled with these debilitating conditions. At the end of the experiments, all surviving birds were killed and dissected. 

Cows Were Deliberately Infected With Tuberculosis

Experimenters tested a tuberculosis vaccine on cows by deliberately infecting them with the disease. They sedated the cows, inserted a tube up each animal’s nose – all the way to the trachea – and flushed their noses with liquid to ensure infection. For 13 long weeks, the cows suffered from the debilitating effects of tuberculosis. At the end, all the cows were killed. 

Pigs Were Injected With a Virus and Left to Starve

Experimenters injected 12 conscious 8-week-old female pigs with a virus that caused fever, lethargy, and severe starvation. The pigs developed large, bleeding sores on their lymph nodes and swollen spleens. After enduring this torment, they were killed. 

Mice Were Electrocuted in Cambridge

Experimenters triggered seizures in mice by attaching electrodes to the animals’ eyes. Their suffering culminated in a violent death: after the tests, experimenters killed some of the mice by bashing them on the head. 

Cures for Human Diseases Are Being Delayed

Animal testing not only causes horrific suffering but also hinders medical progress. Even the medicines regulator acknowledges that tests such as the forced swim test can filter out potentially effective new drugs, delaying much-needed treatments and cures for human diseases. These wasteful and costly experiments prolong the suffering of humans waiting for effective cures. 

Misleading tests squander millions of pounds, time, and resources that could have been spent on human-relevant research. As Dr Richard Klausner, former director of the US National Cancer Institute, once said, “We have cured mice of cancer for decades – and it simply didn’t work in humans.” 

Animal-Friendly Methods Are Growing in Number and Popularity

More and more scientists are advocating for a shift towards better science. From human tissue models to 3D printing and organs-on-chips, forward-thinking scientists are developing humane, modern, and effective methods.  

Take Action for Animals in Laboratories

Given the Labour Party’s commitment to phasing out animal testing, we are urging the government to fulfil its promise to animals and compassionate voters by implementing the steps outlined in PETA’s Research Modernisation Deal immediately. Sign our petition  calling on the government to mandate an end to all experiments on animals and help create a future where no animal suffers in a laboratory.