Animal Experiments in Britain
An overview of animal experiments carried out in Britain, the harm they cause, and why they represent outdated and unreliable science.
What happens to animals
In recent years, experiments carried out at British universities have subjected animals to severe and invasive procedures, including:
- Being injected with cancer cells, causing large and painful tumours to grow
- Having their skulls drilled into so chemicals can be injected directly into their brains
- Being deliberately made obese and forced to cling to rotating rods to avoid falling
- Having catheters inserted into their brains and left in place for weeks, causing traumatic injury, before being killed
A real example from a British university
In one particularly harrowing experiment, baby mice were anaesthetised and restrained in metal frames while researchers opened their skulls and injected chemicals directly into their brains. Electrodes were inserted into their necks and devices fixed to their skulls.
Following these invasive procedures, the mice were suspended by their tails and forced to endure repeated “forced swimming tests”. They were also subjected to elevated maze tests designed to exploit rodents’ natural fear of open spaces, while their vision was artificially controlled — causing confusion and further distress.
See more examples
Explore documented case studies from specific universities across Britain.
Why this matters
The use of animals in experiments is not only extremely cruel, but also dangerous for humans. Because animals and humans respond differently, results from animal experiments are often unreliable when translated to human health.
Animal experiments cause suffering and raise serious ethical and scientific concerns. Britain has the capability to pursue animal-free, human-relevant science, and a responsibility to accelerate that transition.