Over 22,000 animals euthanised after UCC research

OVER 22,000 animals have been euthanised after scientific research at UCC in the last three years, that’s according to information recently released in under the Freedom of Information Act.

In all, 27,116 animals were purchased by the university for use in research experiments and 22,641 were euthanised afterwards.

The majority of animals were mice and a large number of fish.

In the last three years UCC spent just over €530,000 on animals for scientific research.

Last year, UCC spent €128,696 on 3,366 mice, 625 rats, two rabbits, 30 pigs, four guinea pigs, 12,159 fish and two marine mammals.

All of the mice, rats, rabbits and pigs were euthanised. None of the marine mammals or wild birds were euthanised.

In a statement, UCC said that alternatives to live animals are widely used if possible.

“The research is undertaken within the University’s Colleges of Medicine and Health, and Science, Engineering, and Food Science, and research institutes associated with them,” the statement read.

“The university does not carry out any research on live animals for the purposes of cosmetic testing. Projects include cancer research, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel, Crohn’s disease, anxiety and depression, ocular genetics, and obstetrics and gynaecology,” the statement