TOTAL ANIMALS USED: 314,571

A total of 314,571 animals used for research, testing and teaching purposes were reported in 2017, that's 60,508 more than the previous year, a 24% increase. 

The rolling 3-year average was 264,648, up 0.5% from the previous year.

NUMBER OF ANIMALS WHO DIED: 168,452 (54%)

A total of 168,452 animals died or were euthanased during, or after, manipulations in 2017. This is 54% of the total number of animals used that year. 

PURPOSES

Animals were used in the following ways in 2017:

• Basic biological research: 128,896
• Veterinary research: 32,255
• Teaching: 44,871
• Animal husbandry research: 42,025
• Medical research: 25,151
• Testing: 23,387
• Environmental management research: 7,981
• Species conservation: 7,261
• Other: 725
• Production of biological agents: 2,019
• Development of alternatives: 0

TYPES OF ANIMALS

The following animals were used in 2017:

• Amphibia: 66
• Birds: 33,355
• Cats: 1099
• Cows: 44,007
• Cephalopods/crustaceans: 4,028
• Deer: 1,537
• Dogs: 888
• Fish: 101,167
• Goats: 3297
• Guinea pigs: 1,952
• Horses/donkeys: 756
• Marine mammals: 698
• Mice: 52,196
• Pigs: 455
• Possums: 983
• Rabbits: 1,208
• Rats: 7,592
• Reptiles: 1,096
• Sheep: 57,436
• Misc. species: 755

ORGANISATION TYPE

The following types of organisations used animals in 2017:

• Universities: 154,515
• Commercial organisations: 77,893
• Crown Research Institutes: 34,336
• Other (non-university medical research institutes, zoos/wildlife parks and individuals): 17,702  
• Government departments: 3,249
• Polytechnics and institutes of technology: 9,925
• Schools: 16,951

SOURCE

Animals were sourced from the following places in 2017:

• Farms: 121,462
• Breeding units: 69,771
• Captured: 59,809
• Commercial sources: 34,440
• Public sources: 17,929
• Born during project: 10,366
• Imported: 794

More Info

The most commonly used species in 2017

Fish were the most commonly used species in 2017, they were used in the following ways:

• Basic biological research: 78,947
• Teaching: 9,390
• Environmental management: 5,574
• Species conservation: 4,504
• Animal husbandry: 1,941
• Testing: 490
• Medical research: 321

“OTHER” species used

755 animals were reported in the “other species” category. This group was made up of:

• Bats: 404
• Ferrets: 221
• Stoats: 58
• Hedgehogs: 51
• llamas: 5
• Alpacas: 6
• Chinchillas: 2

The type of animals sourced from breeding units

• Mice: 50,535
• Fish: 8,796
• Rats: 5,896
• Guinea pigs: 1,892
• Rabbits: 1,029
• Sheep: 466
• Cows: 388
• Cats: 272
• Other birds: 157
• Goats: 131
• Pigs: 95
• Dogs: 65
• Reptiles: 29
• Pigeons: 16
• Horses: 2

Animals imported into NZ

794 animals were imported into New Zealand for research, testing and teaching purposes in 2017. These included 744 mice, 38 amphibia and 12 rats.