Non-human primates used in biomedical research face specific welfare challenges given their high cognitive capacity and social complexity. The welfare and ethical case for reduction is particularly strong.
Non-human primates present the most ethically challenging case in laboratory animal welfare. Their cognitive sophistication, social complexity, and emotional richness mean that the welfare costs of laboratory housing and procedures are substantial — primates can anticipate, remember, and psychologically process their situation in ways that less cognitively complex animals cannot. The welfare case for reduction and replacement of primate research is therefore particularly strong. The regulatory framework reflects this by requiring higher ethical justification for primate research than for other species. Investment in replacement methods — cell culture, organoids, and computer modelling — should be prioritised.