Animal experiments increase in 2007
The number of animal experiments conducted in 2007 in Switzerland increased by a marginal 1.5 per cent to 726,392, the Federal Veterinary Office said on Thursday.
The figure represented a ten per cent increase in basic research, although medical research decreased by eight per cent. No testing was done for cosmetics, the Veterinary Office said.
Half of all tests were done by industry while one-third were conducted in universities and hospitals. Some 80 per cent of the animals were rodents, such as mice, rats, hamsters and guinea pigs.
Birds, rabbits, amphibians, monkeys and other mammals were also used.
Cantons issued 3,075 permits to conduct animal experiments in 2007, while eight applications were rejected, the Veterinary Office said.
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