The Cambridge University Vegan Society has slammed the University over their use of animals in scientific procedures, calling on the University “to put an end to these cruel and unnecessary experiments.”

Statistics released in September revealed that the University carried out 223,787 procedures on animals last year. This is the highest out of the 69 institutions who voluntarily published their animal research statistics.

Students have expressed their anger at these statistics, with the Cambridge University Vegan Society calling them “truly horrific” and stating that “medical progress is important, but animal testing is the wrong way”.

“The better alternative to animal experiments is the use of non-animal research methods such as human cell cultures, mini-organs generated from human cells (organoids), multi-organ chips, and clinical studies, which are superior to animal experiments in terms of ethics, informative value and transferability,” they continued.

The University uses a mixture of animals in testing, with 97% of research being conducted on mice and zebra fish. In 2023, 172,001 procedures were carried out on mice, 46,172 on zebra fish, and 3,428 on rats. Other animals used by the University include sheep, guinea pigs, primates, and pigs.

Each procedure has a varying degree of severity. The majority of procedures in 2023 – 97,556 – were classed as “mild”. This includes procedures in which “animals are likely to experience short term mild pain suffering or distress, as well as procedures with no significant impairment of the wellbeing or general condition of the animals.”

1,535 of last year’s procedures were classed as “non-recovery,” meaning the animals used “shall not recover consciousness”.

Among procedures carried out by the University small monkeys had holes drilled into their skulls and a substance injected into their brains.

Sean Barrs, a PhD student at Anglia Ruskin University and Animal Justice Project Campaigner also called on the University to end animal testing: “Animal testing is an archaic practice that inflicts wanton cruelty on animals. We don’t need to do this; it’s 2024!”.

“Animal testing is ineffective and horrific for the animals trapped in laboratories. Cambridge University should engage with organisations like Animal Free Research UK and cease using animals in experimentation,” Barrs continued.

The ten institutions who conducted the most animal testing in 2023 were responsible for 54% of the total procedures in Great Britain. The University of Oxford were second on the list, carrying out 194,913 procedures last year.

All 69 organisations listed have signed the ‘Concordat on Openness in Animals Research in the UK’, committing to being transparent about the use of animals in scientific, medical, and veterinary research.

They are also committed to the ethical framework of the ‘3Rs’ – reduction, refinement, and replacement of animals in research – as set out by the EU Law Directive 2010/63 and assumed into the UK’s 1986 Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act in 2013.

Professor Anna Philpott, Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said: “Cambridge research is changing how we understand health and ageing, and how we treat disease.”

“Animal research continues to play a small but vital role in this work and in the development of ground-breaking new medical devices and drug treatments. We are committed to using animals only where there is no alternative as a means of making progress,” Philpott added.

The University of Cambridge was contacted for comment.