NIH Retires The Last Of Its Research Chimps

After retiring hundreds of research chimpanzees in 2013, the NIH said that 50 remaining chimps would no longer be used for medical studies.

The 50 chimpanzees were kept in case they were needed in a public health emergency, but now they will be moving into a federal sanctuary as soon as there is room.

"It's time to say we've reached the point in the U.S. where invasive research on chimpanzees is no longer something that makes sense," said Dr. Francis Collins, director of NIH, according to the Associated Press.

As NPR previously reported, the vast majority of the primates were used in studies related to genetics and behavior. In recent years, the scientific community has begun to feel even these studies are unnecessary.

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