University of Liverpool and animal rights group in row over testing experiments

THE University of Liverpool carried out thousands of animal experiments last year. According to figures obtained by Merseyside Animal Rights, and shared with the ECHO, a total of 14,112 procedures on animals took place in 2024.

- By WESLEY HOLMES

The university says “there is overwhelming scientific consensus that some work must continue in order to make medical progress that will save and improve lives”, and that it was committed to the “reduction, refinement and replacement of animal models.”

According to the figures, the most commonly experimented on animals were mice, with 8,390 procedures being carried out under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act (ASPA) 1986 last year. This was followed by cattle, with 1,965 procedures.

Other animals that were experimented on included sheep (2,668), rats (619), hamsters (194), rabbits (104), domestic fowl (75), fallow deer (2) and roe deer (2).

A number of other types of bird were also subject to ASPA experiments, including common guillemots (37), European shags (29), razorbills (20), and kittiwakes (7).