Lovingly called cavies by their fans (from their Latin name Cavia porcellus), guinea pigs are known as easy-to-care-for companion animals. Sadly, these small, cute rodents are used for science in NZ, where they rarely make it out alive.

In 2021, 3,431 guinea pigs were used for science in NZ. Most (97%) were killed.

Sad fact: The percentage of guinea pigs who were killed after or during use has never been below 91% since 2010.¹

Guinea pigs in NZ have been used for:

• Testing animal vaccines - according to MPI, guinea pigs are used in batch testing of animal vaccines as a regulatory requirement to demonstrate potency.
• The production of biological agents.
• Veterinary Research, including research examining reactions to anaesthesia.
• Drug research.
• Medical research, including trying to model humans in research relating to pre-term labour and birth, dietary influence on foetus development and milk composition, hearing, balance, vision, healing and secondary infections.
• Teaching.
• Basic biological research, including examining how intestines move and hearts function and how eyes and muscles develop.

Places that use guinea pigs for science in NZ include private companies, universities, and polytechnics.

Most guinea pigs used for science in NZ are sourced from breeding units. They are also obtained from commercial and public sources.

Discover real-life examples of how guinea pigs have been used in NZ below!