‘I Have to Publish’: UW Experimenter Explains Why He Torments Baby Monkeys

University of Washington (UW) experimenter Mark Walton has been tormenting monkeys, including baby monkeys, for nearly three decades in cruel and unnecessary experiments just to keep his job and publish papers. Baby monkeys are forcibly separated from their mothers and subjected to vision experiments that involve wearing goggles or having tendons in their eyes severed, causing immense suffering. The monkeys are then restrained, their skulls sliced open, and invasive procedures are performed so Walton can record their eye movements and brain activity, all for purposes of questionable scientific value.

Documents obtained by PETA reveal that monkeys in Walton's laboratory exhibit signs of stress, anxiety, and self-mutilation, yet he continues to push them to their breaking point in the name of research. While Walton acknowledges the problems in his lab, his priority is on continuing experiments rather than considering the well-being of the animals. The Washington National Primate Research Center, where Walton conducts his experiments, is just one example of the cruelty inflicted on animals in the name of science, prompting calls for action to shut down such facilities.