Secret UK military lab 'blew up', 'poisoned' thousands of animals

"Barbaric" experiments were conducted on animals at the Porton Down research base in Wiltshire, England, MailOnline has revealed in a report. This includes blowing them up, poisoning them and administering deadly nerve agents. More than 2,000 pigs, rabbits, monkeys, guinea pigs and mice have died in these experiments in the last three years, the publication reported.

MailOnline learned of the figures after making a Freedom of Information request. Animal rights campaigners are up in arms over the act and are calling the Ministry of Defence (MoD) "archaic" and "reprehensible".

Scientists use the top-secret laboratory to carry out research into chemical weapons and deadly diseases. The report states that 2,044 animals were slaughtered between 2021 and 2023.

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The MoD has argued that the experiments carried out during this period were part of "life-saving" research to provide better protection to British troops. It added that they "cannot be conducted without the use of laboratory animals".

What is Porton Down?

Porton Down lies extremely secluded and contains lethal diseases like ebola, plague and anthrax. Research on biological and chemical weapons is also carried out at the base and animals are routinely subjected to various experiments.

Dr Julia Baines, senior science policy manager for animal campaign group Peta, slammed MoD for carrying out "cruel experiments on monkeys, mice, pigs, and other animals". She stated that "Peta calls shame on the Ministry of Defence" for "injecting deadly viruses into their brains and exposing them to nerve agents."

The MoD refused to detail the deaths of the animals, saying, "Chemical and biological weapons remain a real and present threat, as are battlefield injuries from conventional weapons."

How were the animals killed?

However, MailOnline reported that experiments reported in the past included shooting live pigs and forcing them to inhale mustard gas. Monkeys have been infected with anthrax and guinea pigs were given nerve agent that killed them.

In a bid to understand how certain jackets could protect soldiers from injury on the battlefield, scientists made pigs wear body armour and blew them up.

The report also mentioned that the number of animals used in the experiments at Porton Down has seen a rise, with 605 killed in 2021 compared to 644 in 2023. Alarmingly, 795 animals were slaughtered in 2022, the year Russia invaded Ukraine. Breaking down the number of animals killed, the report states that 64 guinea pigs, 97 marmosets, 83 pigs, three rabbits and 1,797 mice were killed between 2021 and 2023.

(With inputs from agencies)