Fires, floods, and other disasters at research facilities can kill thousands of research animals. Emergency planning and rapid response are critical welfare obligations.
Research facility disasters represent some of the most acute welfare events in the research animal world, combining the immediate suffering of the disaster itself with the compounding stress of emergency response. Animals in individual cages cannot self-rescue and depend entirely on human intervention during evacuations. The welfare obligation to research animals does not cease during emergencies — if anything, it intensifies as animals face exceptional stress without the ability to respond adaptively. Pre-positioned emergency supplies, trained staff protocols for rapid animal rescue prioritisation, and backup environmental systems are the primary welfare safeguards. Institutions that invest in robust emergency planning protect both animal welfare and the scientific investment the animals represent.