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Who is using the Forced Swim Test in NZ?

Who is using the Forced Swim Test in NZ?

Only two tertiary institutes have used this cruel and invalid animal test.

May 15, 2019

We approached all of the main tertiary institutes in New Zealand and asked them if they had conducted the Forced Swim Test within the past five years.

The results were quite shocking… only two tertiary institutes were guilty of using this cruel and invalid test!

The two institutes that had conducted the test were:‍

Victoria University of Wellington
The University of Otago

We sent an Offical Information Act request to 24 different tertiary institutes in NZ to find out this information so they were required to tell the truth.

We are thrilled to see that a majority of these institutes have not conducted the FST (within the past five years at least).

Unitec, Otago Polytechnic, Massey University and the University of Canterbury are just a few of the institutes who have not forced mice and rats to swim in inescapable beakers of water until they give up and float.

See the full summary of responses below:

Why Expose Otago University?

Learn more about why we are exposing animal experiments that have taken place at the University of Otago.

Otago Exposed References

Access the references for the animal experiments we exposed during our special 12 Days of Christmas Otago exposé.

Day 1 - Otago Exposed

Baby rats were force fed alcohol in a cruel experiment at Otago Uni.

Day 2 - Otago Exposed

Rats brains were damaged and pierced with electrodes.

Day 3 - Otago Exposed

Living bees were sliced open and electrocuted.

Day 4 - Otago Exposed

Rats were subject to loud noises and electrocuted.

Day 5 - Otago Exposed

Guinea pigs were forced to swim in the notorious Morris water maze test.

Day 6 - Otago Exposed

Mother rats were given injections to try and hinder the brain development of their babies, who were then experimented on.

Day 7 - Otago Exposed

Young mice were forced to experience chronic stress for two weeks.

Day 8 -Otago Exposed

Rabbits had holes drilled into their jaws.

Day 9 - Otago Exposed

Guinea pigs had their heads drilled into and were given hypothermia.

Day 10 - Otago Exposed

Rats had their legs surgically damaged and were forced to walk on a rotating drum.

Day 11 - Otago Exposed

Sheep had around 30% of their blood drained from their bodies.

Day 12 - Update

What we have achieved together and our next steps!

With your help we can end animal experimentation in Aotearoa.

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