The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s National Primate Research Center has come under scrutiny due to allegations of inadequate care for monkeys, raising concerns about animal welfare practices.
According to the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), federal documents reveal that in 2025, the university’s primate center failed to provide sufficient veterinary care, subjected animals to painful procedures without appropriate relief, and maintained unsafe living conditions.
NAVS’s third annual Laboratory Animal Care Audit highlighted that eight monkeys did not receive mandatory post-experiment pain relief. This audit is based on welfare violations documented by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“The University of Wisconsin-Madison has popped up time and time again as a facility that violates the Animal Welfare Act in ways that really harm and hurt the animals in their care,” said Meredith Blanchard, director of advocacy and sanctuary at NAVS.
Gillian Drummond, a spokesperson for UW-Madison, noted that USDA inspectors conducted a routine inspection in February 2025, which led to three citations. Details of the inspection can be found here.
Drummond added, “The university takes all incidents seriously and corrective actions to prevent future occurrences were already in place by the time USDA inspectors made their unannounced visit.”
The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, part of a program funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1961, houses approximately 1,500 primates, including rhesus macaques, common marmosets, and cynomolgus macaques. More information can be found on the NIH website.
The center’s research focuses on areas such as global infectious diseases, regenerative and reproductive medicine, chronic diseases, aging research, and neuroscience.
In addition to NAVS’s report, the USDA’s inspection found that some monkeys were injured due to unsecured enclosures and faulty cage structures. “What we really see, especially with non-human primates, is they’re just so smart and they’re so intent on getting out of the laboratory environment that they’re constantly looking for ways to escape,” Blanchard commented.
Despite these findings, the USDA, responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, rarely imposes fines. In 2025, there were 92 reported violations across 28 states, but no penalties were issued, according to Blanchard.
Controversy surrounding UW-Madison’s primate research is not new. Organizations like PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund have consistently filed complaints with the USDA, urging for action. Past incidents have led to fines for the university, including a $77,000 fine for violations between 2019 and 2022, and a $74,000 fine for issues from 2015 to 2019.
