Leuven researchers perform tests on wild baboons in Kenya

A team from the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) led by gynaecologist Thomas D’Hooghe, is performing tests on 20 baboons at the Institute of Primate Research in Kenya. In a report, the Anti-Vivisection Coalition (ADC) pointed out that the baboons are caught in the wild, while the European Parliament banned testing on animals caught in the wild in 2010.

According to the animal rights activists, the Leuven researchers are circumventing the strict European regulation for experiments supported by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO).

D’Hooghe is a specialist in research on endometriosis, a condition that causes infertility in women. D’Hooghe defended his work, saying that the test animals are living in good circumstances and that his work is important in improving the care for endometriosis patients.

The ADC has asked KU Leuven rector Rik Torfs to step in; Torfs has asked for patience while he investigates whether it’s possible to use alternative methods.

photo: ingimage