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Animals in Research
Ernest Loves His Head Scratched
Ernest is a ram and father to lambs needed for a maternal nutrition study. He lives in the same flock room as…
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Animals in Research
Seven-day-old zebrafish larvae
A zebrafish larva is an immature form of an adult fish. In this photo, you see a seven-day-old zebrafish larvae, around the…
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Animals in Research
Zebrafish and Anti-Cancer Drugs
Cancer is a complicated, devastating disease that has affected many lives. New cancer treatments are continually developed because cancer cells change and…
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Animals in Research
Noel the mouse
Mice are one of the most common animals needed for research. Most mice do not usually get individual names...but sometimes a technician…
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Animals in Research
Hydro Checking His Lixit on Verbal Command
The most important task for animal caregivers is making sure animals are cared for properly. This involves providing access to water. Water…
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Animals in Research
Research Sheep Colony
Sheep thrive in social groups of at least five members. Research facilities strive to design housing that best meets the needs of…
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Animals in Research
Father caring for infant
This is a father and infant titi monkey. These monkeys live in monogamous family groups that consist of the mother, father and…
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Animals in Research
Zebrafish and Spinal Cord Regeneration
Researchers recently discovered a clue to how zebrafish self-heal spinal cord injuries. Damaged cells secrete a special growth factor that is required…
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Animals in Research
A Boy's Best Friend
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a debilitating genetic condition that affects 1 in every 3,500-5,000 boys born worldwide. Golden retrievers have a spontaneously…
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Animals in Research
Golden syrian hamster in a tube
Golden Syrian hamsters are susceptible to a virus called SV40 which is related to human-associated viruses in a family called polyomaviruses. SV40…
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Animals in Research
Marmosets with Tech and Treats
These are common marmosets in the lobby of the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. Dried fruit, grapes, peanuts and other "pocket treats" are…
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Animals in Research
Pony Selfie Break
A pony named Memory is helping researchers develop treatments for osteoarthritis. She’s also involved in a study to better understand the healing…
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Animals in Research
Mice with "good cholesterol" gene
These mice are part of a study to help understand how HDL cholesterol, “the good cholesterol,"protects people from heart attacks. They are…
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Animals in Research
Cat Kisses
Housing for these cats includes blankets, raised beds, scratching posts, and toys. The cats enjoy playing with each other and especially love…
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Animals in Research
Love, Care, Progress: Inside a Nonhuman Primate Research Facility
Love, Care, Progress: Inside a Nonhuman Primate Research Facility highlights the critically important role of nonhuman primates in health research. This moving…
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Animals in Research
Rhesus monkey with baby grooming another monkey
Infants to geriatric animals live with their extended family groups at the California National Primate Research Center. This allows them to exhibit…
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Animals in Research
Titi Monkey (Callicebus cupreus) Colony at the California National Primate Research Center
The California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) is home to the nation’s only active breeding colony of South American titi monkeys (Callicebus…
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Animals in Research
Sophie the Cat
Cats like Sophie help researchers study the molecular causes for heart failure. Almost 6 million people in the US have heart failure…
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Animals in Research
Love, Care, Progress
Love, Care, Progress: Research Involving Dogs is the inaugural video in the Love, Care, Progress series, focused on the important role of…
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Animals in Research
Zebrafish Tank
Zebrafish are vertebrates that share similar developmental features with humans. They are powerful models for studying early development, given that their eggs…
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Animals in Research
A Geriatric Wing for Marmosets
Texas Biomed’s Southwest National Primate Research Center most recently invested $2.5 million to renovate a 12,000-square-foot building to be dedicated exclusively for…
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Animals in Research
Love Letters Series - Brick in the Wall
Brick in the Wall (2017) is part of the Love Letter Series which connects the inspiring and impactful stories of patients’ lives…
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Animals in Research
A Home for Louie
Louie the hound is adopted after he completes his work as an asthma study subject. Robert J. Adams, DVM, Associate Provost for…
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Animals in Research
Lith Checking His Water Lixit with a Flashlight Cue
In this video clip, Lith, a male rhesus macaque monkey, is trained to participate in a twice-daily husbandry task by following a…
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Animals in Research
Shrew in a tube
This Japanese shrew lives in a large shoe box cage, with many tubes and nesting material for him to find shelter. He…
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Animals in Research
Monkey in imaging
Imaging technologies have greatly reduced the number of animals needed for research. In the past, animals would have had to be euthanized…
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Animals in Research
Socially Housed Rabbits in Tunnels
Rabbits in this research facility are socially housed in runs with paper bedding, tunnels, dividers, toys, and treats, providing them with opportunities…
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Animals in Research
Mice in Vaccine Research
Mice are the most common species involved in vaccine research. Of course, a mouse is not a human, but researchers are very…
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Animals in Research
Guinea pig in a tube
Guinea pigs naturally love to hide. This guinea pig is housed with others who like to hang out in PVC tubing. Covered…
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Animals in Research
Research Rabbit Eating Parsley
Fresh vegetables and herbs, like parsley, are given to research rabbits both to enrich their environment and to provide nutrition. This rabbit…
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Animals in Research
Peanut Taking a Break
Peanut is a dog with a naturally-occurring form of muscular dystrophy. He is resting with his research technician after a round of…
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Animals in Research
Baby rhesus with toy
Two juvenile rhesus macaques explore their environment while being observed as part of an animal enrichment and behavior study at the Wisconsin…
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Animals in Research
Marmoset MRI
Researchers view a marmoset’s MRI as part of an aging study to explore links between energy metabolism and neural function. Diseases related…
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Animals in Research
Dash the birthday boy
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a disorder that causes itchy, red, cracked skin that is also prone to infections and thickening. Currently there…
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Animals in Research
Socially housed rabbits
These rabbits are housed in social groups (four members per run). Research facilities strive to house animals in areas which allow them…
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Animals in Research
Elle the sheep
Meet Elle. She is a Crossbred sheep who is pregnant with twins. Elle is part of a maternal nutrition study focused on…
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Animals in Research
Mouse Igloos to Promote Natural Behaviors and Safe Social Housing
Plastic igloos, such as the one pictured here, provide mice the opportunity to carry out natural behaviors like concealing themselves. They also…
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Animals in Research
Baby titi monkey
This is a baby titi monkey with her father. Titi monkeys are highly social animals and live in family groups that include…
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Animals in Research
Ultrasound of a pregnant Rhesus monkey that has been infected with Zika virus
Researchers perform a fetal ultrasound on a pregnant rhesus monkey to study the link between the Zika virus and birth defects. They…
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Animals in Research
Pig playtime
Pigs are smart, social animals that like to nibble and root. Balls and puzzle toys are provided to engage them in rooting…
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Animals in Research
Enrichment for rhesus mother and baby
A mother and juvenielle rhesus macaque climb a branch in their outdoor enclosure. They are eating zucchini, one of many vegetables provided…
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Animals in Research
Monkey Eating Oranges
Credit: Photo by Clem Spalding, Courtesy of Texas Biomedical Research Institute
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Animals in Research
Infant rhesus with stuffed toy
This infant rhesus monkey is being held by a member of the primate services staff at the California National Primate Research Center. …
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Animals in Research
Monkey housing facility
These outdoor enclosures house monkeys that are on active research studies. They are socially housed and receive many types of enrichment to…
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Animals in Research
Titi Monkeys
The California National Primate Research Center is home to the only active South American titi monkey breeding colonies in the world. The…
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Animals in Research
Outdoor Climbing and Wheel
Nonhuman primates, like these Rhesus macaques, are naturally curious. They spend a great deal of time foraging and investigating novel objects in…
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Animals in Research
Marmosets and Zika
Marmosets were a critical model for understanding the effects of Zika infections on pregnant mothers. In mid-2018, six national primate research centers…
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Animals in Research
Research Ferrets Co-nursing a Litter
Jills – female ferrets – are incredibly friendly and social and often sleep cuddled together. Research ferrets are housed so that they…
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Animals in Research
Taking a Dip in the Pool
Monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center are provided with many types of environmental enrichment to simulate a natural environment. In…
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Animals in Research
Minipigs Foraging in Their Pen
Minipigs needed for research are fed on the floor so that they can root and forage for their feed using their snout. …
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Animals in Research
Mom and baby rhesus on hammock
A rhesus macaque mom climbs into a hammock with her infant at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. Females reach puberty at around…
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Animals in Research
Groot Having His Nails Trimmed
Groot is a male Hamadryas baboon at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. His fingernails were becoming too long resulting in accidental…
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Animals in Research
Pigeons and Perches
Male and female Rock Doves (pigeons) in this research facility raise their babies together in a large, open, indoor aviary. The aviary…
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Animals in Research
Monkey Enrichment for Indoor Housing
Monkeys are given enrichment such as toys, swings, climbing structures and other items to increase their behavioral diversity. Many of these objects…
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Animals in Research
Monkey play yard
Monkeys of all ages like to climb and play in the children's play structures installed in their housing areas. The bright colors…
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Animals in Research
Seraphina: Helping to Understand Navigation and Memory
This is Seraphina, a Rock Dove or pigeon. She contributes to studies focused on understanding “homing” and how the brain supports navigation…
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Animals in Research
pooltime
Socializing with other dogs, human interaction, and playtime are very important aspects in ensuring a good environment for research dogs. This is…
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Animals in Research
Cat Housing
Cat housing takes into consideration their social, psychological and behavioral needs. Cats do well in compatible social groups with the ability to…
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Animals in Research
Rhesus macaque drinking water
Monkeys like this one are provided with fresh water and a variety of foods to ensure optimal health. Their housing areas are…
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Animals in Research
Zebrafish embryos - 30-hours-old
Embryonic development takes place rapidly. It is also a key area of study during drug safety testing. This photo shows thirty-day-old zebrafish…
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Animals in Research
Hydro and His Chair Training
Rhesus macaque monkeys are important for studies to learn about the brain. Here you see Hydro, a male rhesus macaque, being trained…
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Animals in Research
Baby Rat Health Check
All research animals, from tiny fish to curious monkeys, receive daily health checks. Pictured here are two baby rats being evaluated by…
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Animals in Research
Rhesus getting treat from his caregiver
Rhesus monkeys getting treats from their caregiver at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. Healthy treats can include peanuts, grapes, apple slices,…
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Animals in Research
Japanese shrew
This Japanese shrew is helping to treat Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (CSID). He eats a special diet that was also fed to his…
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Animals in Research
Zebrafish embryos - 24-hours-old
Zebrafish embryos are transparent and they also develop quickly. These particular embryos are shown twenty-four hours after fertilization. Each week, a breeding…
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Animals in Research
Marmoset with a Technician
Research technician prepares a pregnant female marmoset for an ultrasound at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. Because they are acclimated to careful handling…
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Animals in Research
Monkey with Halloween pumpkins
Monkeys at the California National Primate Research Center enjoy Halloween pumpkins.
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Animals in Research
Twirl
Twirl is a rat within a training colony at a research facility. Her job is to help researchers become comfortable around rats…
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Animals in Research
Husbandry Staff Providing Enrichment for Rhesus Monkeys
Here a husbandry technician is providing food enrichment to rhesus macaques in their corral. This kind of positive interaction between monkeys and…
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Animals in Research
Baboon Playground
These baboons are needed as a model for a variety of studies, including research focused on understanding the genetics of complex diseases,…
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Animals in Research
Beignet the Rhesus Macaque and Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is used to train research animals to participate in essential studies. Here you see Beignet, a male rhesus macaque monkey,…
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Animals in Research
Family of monkeys with Halloween pumpkins
A family of research monkeys enjoy some Halloween pumpkins. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are provided both as nutrition and as enrichment. The…
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Animals in Research
Beagle Playing with Kong
Beagles have been important for many medical advancements, from understanding body systems and disease processes to the development of new medicines and…
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Animals in Research
Touchscreen Research Method
The Oregon National Primate Research Center is currently evaluating various forms of research methods to improve traditional cognitive testing. This Rhesus macaque…
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Animals in Research
Colony of rhesus macaques
These are rhesus macaques housed at the California National Primate Research Center. In the wild, and at the Center, these monkeys live…
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Animals in Research
Handling Hamsters
Hamsters involved in research are gently handled by animal caretakers on a regular basis so they can grow accustomed to human interaction.…
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Animals in Research
Rabbits enjoying human interaction
These rabbits enjoy human interaction. When technicians come into the room, the rabbits move to the front of the pen to receive…
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Animals in Research
Baby rhesus getting mini marshmallow treat
Environmental enrichment is an important part of caring for research animals. Research animals are provided with several types of enrichment to stimulate…
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Animals in Research
Immunodeficient mouse with caretaker
Immunodeficient mice, like this one, need specialized care to ensure their health is not compromised. They are important for several research areas…
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Animals in Research
Moose and Jack
Moose and Jack are on a study to help researchers find effective treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a debilitating genetic disorder found…
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Animals in Research
Geriatric rhesus macaque
The colony of rhesus macaques at the California National Primate Research Center consists of infants to adults. Their average life span in…
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Animals in Research
Trainer and Rhesus Macaque Colony
This is the Oregon National Primate Research Center Nonhuman Primate Training Specialist. She is training a monkey, Finch, in a group to…
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Animals in Research
Rabbits sharing a food bowl
Rabbits are social animals and live well in groups, especially if they are raised together as youngsters. The facility that houses these…
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Animals in Research
Holly the Research Pig
Holly is a laid back pig who loves people. She got a back scratch daily along with treats and was trained to…
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Animals in Research
Sadie the Research Cat
Sadie is part of a research study to develop more effective analgesics for cats. There are very few analgesics approved for cats…
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Animals in Research
Marmoset in his hammock
This monkey is part of a family of common marmosets in the lobby of the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. Adult common…
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Animals in Research
Mouse on shower ring
This mouse is on a study to help prevent heart attacks. He lives in a shoebox cage with three other mice. His…
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Animals in Research
Guinea pig with caretaker
Guinea pigs are an excellent model for studying human hearing mechanisms because of the similarities in both outer and inner ear structures.…
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Animals in Research
Positive Reinforcement Training for Blood Draw
Garcia is participating in positive reinforcement training (PRT), also known as clicker training. PRT is a type of training in which animals…
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Animals in Research
Marmosets and Marshmallows
All nonhuman primates in research are provided access to enhanced care, including social, behavioral and nutritional enrichment. They often receive fruit and…
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Animals in Research
Afi Closes the Door to His Chair
Afi, a male rhesus macaque monkey, is being trained to voluntarily enter into a chair then close the door behind himself. The…
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Animals in Research
Fourteen-day-old zebrafish larva
Zebrafish larvae are raised from eggs to eventually become breeding adult fish that provide embryos for research studies. The transparent bodies of…
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Animals in Research
Positive reinforcement for bunny checks
These rabbits are involved in research aimed at preventing fluid build-up in the chest, which happens in humans and animals battling certain…
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Animals in Research
Ferret for Research Naps with Her Kits in the Nest
Ferrets spend 75% of their day sleeping, but are very active when awake. They like to explore, forage, play, hide, rest, and…
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Animals in Research
Mother sheep with lambs
These lambs are part of a maternal nutrition study. Whenever possible, lambs involved in research studies are raised with their mothers where…
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Animals in Research
Love Letter Series - Liviya
Liviya (2016) is part of the Love Letter Series which connects the inspiring and impactful stories of patients’ lives and legacies with animal-based research.…