Monkeys used in medical research 'kept in neglectful conditions,' say activists

New US laws require that researchers treat chimpanzees in an ethologically appropriate manner, and several organizations say monkeys need the same rules

After succeeding in their quest to overhaul the treatment of chimpanzees used in research, animal rights advocates are turning their attention to other primates: the tens of thousands of monkeys now used in medical research in the United States.

The rules governing these animals' welfare are minimal and outdated, says the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and are no longer consistent with what scientists now know about their needs and feelings.