Mortality and body weight changes in Aotus nancymai shipped from Iquitos, Peru to Richland, Washington
Málaga CA, Weller RE, Montoya E, Moro J, Buschbom RL. Mortality and body weight changes in Aotus nancymai shipped from Iquitos, Peru to Richland, Washington. J Med Primatol 1991:20:611.
Four hundred and fifty wildcaught owl monkeys (Aotus nancymai) were shipped from Iquitos, Peru to Richland, Washington. Mortality and body weight changes from the time of shipment to 30 days after arrival were evaluated using age, sex, and transit time as comparison criteria.
No association between mortality and sex, age, or transit time was ob served. The mortality percentage from shipment to 30 days after arrival was 2.44%. Both age and transit time had a significant effect on weight changes, but sex did not. Shipping procedures are described.
Carlos A. Málaga,1 Richard E. Weller, 1 Enrique Montoya, 2 Jaime Moro, 2 Raymond L. Buschbom1 1Battelle Northwest Laboratories, Richland, WA; 2 Peruvian Primatological Project, Iquitos, Peru Key words: nonhuman primates transport weight loss owl monkeys shipping stress night monkey
Richard E. Weller, Developmental Toxicology Section, Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories, P750, P.O. Box 999, Rich land, WA 99352 Accepted for publication March 16, 1990.
The everexpanding need for animal models thatmimic man in their response to various agents has led to increased use of nonhuman primates in bio medical research. Insufficient captive breeding ofsome species requires continued trapping in thewild and shipment to user laboratories. However,obtaining nonhuman primates from their naturalhabitats is a complicated matter involving theirtransport from remote regions, which may adversely affect their health status.
A healthy experimental subject is necessary for biomedical research. However, little is known asto the effects of longdistance travel on the wellbeing of nonhuman primates. Although air transportation of live animals is regulated at both the na tional and the international level [1,2], publishedinformation on shipping conditions and the effectof extended travel is limited [3].
The purpose of this paper is to describe conditions involving the transport of 450 Aotus nancymai shipped from Iquitos, Peru to Battelle NorthwestLaboratories (BNW) in Richland, Washington. Included are body weight changes and mortality figures observed between shipment from Iquitos andarrival, and between arrival and the end of the first 30 days of observation.
