TOTAL ANIMALS USED: 315,574

A total of 315,574 animals used for research, testing and teaching purposes were reported in 2019, that's 14,239 more than the previous year.

The rolling 3-year average was 310,497 animals, up 20,504 on the previous year.

NUMBER OF ANIMALS WHO DIED: 107,283  (34%)

A total of 107,283 died or were euthanised during, or after, manipulations (including animals who were killed for the purpose of using their tissues). This is 34% of the total number of animals used that year. See a breakdown below. 

• Animals killed for the purpose of using their tissues for research, testing or teaching purposes but did not undergo any prior manipulation: 18,568.
• Animals who died or were euthanised during, or after, manipulations: 88,715

Additional animals killed:

For the first time in 2019, an amendment to the Animal Welfare (Records and Statistics) Regulations 1999 requires reporting of the number of animals that were bred for research, testing or teaching but were not used for those purposes and killed.

In 2019, 159,149 animals that were bred for research, testing or teaching purposes but not used were killed. These included mice, fish, rats, guinea pigs, sheep, rabbits, and goats.

PURPOSES

Animals were used in the following ways in 2019:

• Basic biological research: 84,269
• Veterinary research: 57,463 
• Teaching: 28,076
• Animal husbandry research: 30,068
• Medical research: 44,999
• Testing: 20,584
• Environmental management research: 7,519
• Species conservation: 13,561
• Other: 5,924
• Production of biological agents: 22,898
• Development of alternatives: 0 
• Producing offspring with compromised welfare: 213

TYPES OF ANIMALS

The following categories of animals were used in 2019:

• Alpacas/llamas: 49
• Amphibia: 617
• Birds: 8,115
• Cats: 698
• Cows: 81,595
• Cephalopods/crustaceans: 3,956
• Deer: 1,399
• Dogs: 956
• Fish: 54,108
• Goats: 962
• Guinea pigs: 2,565
• Horses/donkeys: 314
• Marine mammals: 6,747
• Mice: 63,171
• Pigs: 918
• Possums: 1,369
• Rabbits: 1,086
• Rats: 13,321
• Reptiles: 622
• Sheep: 72,550
• Misc. species: 456

ORGANISATION TYPE

The following types of organisations used animals in 2019:

• Universities: 101,352
• Commercial organisations: 137,505
• Crown Research Institutes: 29,014
• Other (non-university medical research institutes, zoos/wildlife parks and individuals): 36,981
• Government departments: 2,387
• Polytechnics and institutes of technology: 6,729
• Schools: 1,606

SOURCE

Animals were sourced from the following places in 2019:

• Farms: 139,163
• Breeding units: 83,013
• Captured: 33,858
• Commercial sources: 26,045
• Public sources: 19,636 
• Born during project: 13,634
• Imported: 225 

More Info

The most commonly used species in 2019:

Cows were the most used species in 2019 followed by sheep, mice and fish.

“OTHER” species used

In 2019, 456 animals were reported in the “other species” category. This group was made up of:

• Bats: 47
• Chinchillas: 5
• Ferrets: 211
• Hedgehogs: 46
• Stoats: 55
• Wallabies: 47
• Himalayan tahr: 21
• Meerkats: 13
• Weasels: 6
  

Animals imported into NZ

A total of 225 animals were imported into New Zealand for research, testing and teaching purposes in 2019. These included 195 mice, 24 rats and six “other birds”