Gene Hackman Stands Up For Chimps

Around two hundred chimpanzees marked for transfer from semi-retirement to a life of cruelty and invasive research have a new defender, straight out of the ranks of Hollywood's elite. Gene Hackman, multiple Oscar winner and star of more movies than we have space to relate here, has penned a letter to the National Institutes of Health, which owns the Alamogordo Primate Facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The NIH manages the Alamogordo site, and has announced plans to shut the facility down and move the 200 or so chimps back into active research next year.

The story of Alamogordo Primate Facility is an interesting one, and one we've written about before. In a nutshell, the chimps at Alamogordo are "semi-retired," in a sense — most are over the age of 30, all come from research facilities around the country. In 2001, the National Institutes of Health signed a contract with a biomedical research company to house the chimps, and the Alamogordo Primate Facility was born. An important part of the contract that NIH signed said that no invasive research was to be allowed at Alamogordo, and by all accounts, that has been the case. As Change.org's Stephanie Feldstein noted last month, the chimps at Alamogordo get fresh fruits, various types of enrichment, and access to indoor and outdoor areas. If you're interested in learning more about the history behind Alamogordo, check out Animal Protection of New Mexico's FAQ page.

The problem is, NIH owns the chimps at Alamogordo, and therefore they get to call the shots. The best thing to do would be to turn Alamogordo's management over to a sanctuary when the contract expires in May of next year, and let these research-scarred veteran chimps live out the rest of their days in comfort. Most importantly, the NIH needs to declare the Alamogordo chimps permanently retired, which they have yet to do. That simple move would take the chimps off the table when it comes to research.

For Gene Hackman, it's a clear case of acting locally. He lives in Santa Fe, and he's looking out for his neighbors, both the primates and the humans. After all, the Alamogordo facility also creates jobs in Hackman's backyard, and that's important as well.

Gene Hackman made a career for himself playing tough guys in movies like The Unforgiven, Runaway Jury, and The French Connection. His stand on behalf of the Alamogordo chimps shows that he's also got a heart of gold. Frankly, I couldn't think of a better tough guy to have on our side in this fight.

Photo credit: daniellekellogg