ANIMAL WELFARE is a sine qua non at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, Tex. Without its approximately 3500 nonhuman primates and 4000 animals of other species, the renowned facility not far from the Alamo would be out of business. Unless healthy animals are used, experimental conclusions might be invalid or misleading.
Five full-time veterinarians care for the animals, supporting the work of more than 50 research scientists. Duncan Wimpress, PhD, is president of the foundation.
Some 'Pensioned'
A visitor may become acquainted with some of the 3300 baboons (of all five species, including a few pensioned-off mandrills and several of the showy hamadryas baboon revered in ancient Egypt) and approximately 200 chimpanzees of all ages from infants to retirees.In two 6-acre breeding corrals that seem huge in themselves but are only dots on its 800-acre property, the foundation houses more baboons than any similar facility