Chimps retire from testing

A significant step toward eliminating the use of chimpanzees in invasive biomedical research was taken on June 26, as the National Institutes of Health announced it would retire all but about 50 chimps from testing.

More than 300 of the NIH-owned animals will move from research facilities across the country to sanctuaries, at which point Congressional law dictates they cannot be used for future research, according to The Washington Post. In 2014, NIH will seek about $3 million from Congress to house the animals.

Animal-rights advocates have long argued the practice of using chimps for medical research is unnecessary, a sentiment shared last January by an advisory panel that recommended NIH retire the majority of the animals.