NCRR Reviewing Operating Procedures at Chimpanzee Facility in Bastrop, TX

Over the past five months, three incidents of chimpanzee escapes have occurred from the outdoor enclosure at the Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research located in Bastrop, TX. The facility is part of University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The latest incident occurred on April 2, 2008; the chimpanzee was quickly recaptured and safely returned to the facility.

For all three incidents, no animals came in contact with the public.

Escapes from any federally supported animal housing facility are of great concern and are reviewed individually and immediately. NCRR is taking the following steps to address the situation:

• NCRR has reviewed the operating procedures of the Keeling Center. Changes have been made to address those incidents; and,
• to assess procedures in more detail, NCRR/NIH representatives will make a site visit to the Keeling Center on April 8, 2008, to determine whether additional corrective actions to management practices are necessary to ensure the safety of the community, facility personnel, and animals.

The actions taken and protocols implemented will be shared with all federal facilities that house chimpanzees. NCRR will continue to work with representatives of the Keeling Center to develop any additional steps necessary to ensure safe and appropriate operation of the facility.