PETA Global 2019 Issue 3

BlackWidow Spider Venom Injected Into Horses – PETA Scientists Are Working to Stop It A bite from a black widow spider can cause difficulty breathing, vomiting, tremors, abdominal pain, and a long list of other painful complications. What most people don’t realize is that the treatment for these bites is derived from

Busted! PETA Exposes Illegal Experiments on Crows

Main crow: © iStock.com/Iurii Garmash • Flock of crows: © iStock.com/Wlad74

E xperimenters at Colorado State University (CSU), led by Gregory Ebel, have been using millions of US tax dollars to capture healthy wild crows, robins, and sparrows; infect themwith the deadlyWest Nile virus, which makes them feel wretched as it attacks their organs; and then kill them. Not only are these experiments unethical, they’re also bad science – and now, PETA has revealed that they’re illegal as well. In response to a PETA complaint, the National Institutes of Health – which has given Ebel more than US$4.2 million since 2007 – confirmed that he did indeed capture and experiment on dozens of wild crows illegally. The university was further forced to admit that he failed to apply for a state permit, as required by Colorado law, before trapping crows in 2018.

(Scientists already know that West Nile virus can be controlled by eliminating mosquito breeding sites.) And it’s not to develop a vaccine or treatment for the virus. Instead, these are just curiosity-driven experiments, aimed at understanding the behavior of the virus in different host species purely as a matter of academic interest. Crows are extremely intelligent and profoundly social beings. They can use tools and solve complex problems. They also mate for life and form deep familial bonds, and related groups of crows often “check in” with each other throughout the day. These birds and the others who were caught, tormented, and killed by CSU experimenters value their freedom, families, and lives – just as we do.

Spider: © iStock.com/Schiz-Art • Web: © iStock.com/nicolecioe • Antitoxin investigation photos: © PETA India

Coming to Their Rescue Together with the Center for Contemporary Equine Studies, the PETA International Science Consortium is funding a project that will use human cells instead of horses’ blood as a source of antivenom. The research is being carried out by the Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Bioinformatics at the Technische Universität Braunschweig in Germany, which specializes in human antibodies, and by the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada, a laboratory in Mexico that specializes in spider venom.

the Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Bioinformatics to create human antibodies that can replace the use of horses’ blood in the treatment of diphtheria. Lab-Produced Antitoxins Are a Win-Win Proposition In addition to being humane, creating antibodies from human cells instead of horses’ blood is safer and more efficient. Take Action Now Visit PETA.org/Antitoxin to watch PETA’s video, urge the Indian government to revoke the licenses of abusive horse-serum facilities, and help fund animal-free alternatives. “Their dedication to rigorous science and quality work has earned the Science Consortium a well-deserved reputation as an organization at the forefront of changing the way toxicology testing is done: significantly reducing animal testing while improving human health relevance.” – Dr. Warren Casey, Executive Director, Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of AlternativeMethods

horse blood, which can itself transmit viral and bacterial illnesses to humans and cause severe or even fatal allergic reactions. All over the world, horses are being exploited as living factories, injected with venom so that their blood will produce antibodies that can be extracted and used to treat spider bites. Imagine what they endure as the venom courses through their veins, making them sick. And it takes a strong stomach to watch PETA India’s video of the horrific conditions in which they’re factory-farmed for their blood. Hell for Horses On filthy farms in India, thousands of horses, mules, and donkeys are kept in appalling conditions for the sole purpose of producing antibodies, which are isolated from their blood after they’re injected with toxins, venoms, and other harmful substances over and over again. Painful needles – larger than those recommended in government guidelines – are often used for convenience’ sake, because they can withdraw blood quickly. The horses are physically restrained, and up to 15% of their total blood volume is drawn all at one time from a vein in the neck – as much as 2 gallons (7.5 liters). They’re subjected to this frightening and painful ordeal as frequently as every other week. A PETA India exposé of these facilities revealed that many horses were suffering from anemia, diseased hooves, eye abnormalities, infections, parasites, and malnutrition – without receiving any veterinary care. Fearful and anxious when approached, many struggled to get away but were tied up too tightly to escape.

Take Action Now Please visit PETA.org/CSU to urge university officials to pull the plug on Ebel’s cruel and worthless experiments – and get friends,

Caught, tormented, and killed by CSU experimenters

neighbors, and coworkers to do the same. Let’s save the crows!

This isn’t the first time the Consortium has funded pioneering work. It also has a project underway with

PETA is demanding that any surviving birds be released and no future permits be issued. It also filed a complaint with the US Department of Agriculture after determining that CSU failed to include the birds trapped and killed by Ebel in its reports to the federal government, as required by law.

Crows Endure Agonizing Multiple Organ Failure The birds in Ebel’s laboratory go through a terrible ordeal. First, they lose their appetite and have difficulty controlling their bodily movements. Then, some go on to experience systemic infection throughout their bodies, followed by multiple organ failure and, finally, death.

Avoid spider bites! Buy this humane bug catcher at PETA.org/Store .

The purpose of the experiments isn’t to gain new insights into preventive strategies.

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Global 17

16 CURIOSITY KILLED THE CROW