We Did It! University of Bath Drops the Forced Swim Test
PETA celebrates another campaign win: The University of Bath has confirmed that it has no plans to subject any more animals to the forced swim test! The news was announced ahead of its licence expiring in June. In the test, rats and mice are forced to experience the terror of near-drowning under the erroneous assumption that it can reveal something about human mental health conditions.
The University of Bath’s announcement follows a PETA campaign that saw, among other actions, hard-to-miss protests and over 50,000 protest letters from members and supporters. Thank you to everyone who supported the campaign.
We applaud the University of Bath for no longer terrorising animals in this scientifically and ethically controversial experiment.
The University of Bath Exposed
PETA released shocking video footage obtained from University of Bath laboratories showing defenceless mice swimming for their lives in sheer-sided containers.
Following the announcement that the University of Bristol ended its use of the forced swim test in February 2025, the University of Bath was the last institution in the UK still conducting the test. Several universities, including King’s College London, and many major pharmaceutical companies have already cut ties with near-drowning tests.
What is the Forced Swim Test?
This experiment induces panic in small animals by placing them into inescapable cylinders of water. The animals attempt to climb the steep sides of the container and even dive underwater, desperate to find a means of escape.
Once the test is complete, experimenters kill the animals – either by gassing, blunt force trauma to the head, an overdose of anaesthetic, or breaking their necks – to study their brains.
Criticised by the Scientific Community
The scientific community has long criticised the test. The Home Office recently announced its intention to eliminate all uses of the experiment, which would be the first time a specific test on rodents has been banned in the country. This highlights how unnecessary and cruel it is.
What You Can Do
Please join PETA in urging the government to mandate an end to all experiments on animals:
