Information on the number of animals used for scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are reported annually to the UK Home Office. They form part of the national statistics which the Home Office publishes each year.
St George’s has additionally published the species and number of each species used at the university on our website since 2013, and will continue to disclose the five most recent reporting years’ data in the future. From 2019 onwards, we will aim to provide a more detailed degree of information in our reports. This is occasionally the basis of freedom of information (FOI) requests, to which the university publishes responses online.
Annual statistics
Animals used for procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, by year.
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Mice: 4,608
Rats: 551
Rabbits: 96
Guinea pigs: 9
Pigs: 6
___________
Total: 5,270
Mice: 5,087
Rats: 501
Rabbits: 92
Pigs: 3
Fish: 217
___________
Total: 5,900
Mice: 4,735
Rats: 414
Rabbits: 84
Fish: 1,980
___________
Total: 7,213
Mice: 2,982
Rats: 82
Fish: 3,034
___________
Total: 6,098
Mice: 2,356
Rats: 48
Fish: 328
___________
Total: 2,732
These additional statistics are outside the remit of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) reported animals.
Animals bred for scientific purposes other than for ASPA-specified procedures
Mice: 178
Rats: 410
Fish: 35
___________
Total: 623
Tissue sampling for purpose of genotyping
Mice: 408
Fish: 64
___________
Total: 472
Mice: 1,472
Fish: 1,548
_____________
Total: 3,020
Mice: 1,512
Rats: 252
Fish: 814
_____________
Total: 2,578
Our BRF was closed for refurbishment during 2021, and some projects were transferred to other Establishments. The number of animals used over the year by those projects will be published by their host institutions. The following are the numbers used at SGUL only:
Mice: 1,065
Rats: 14
_____________
Total: 1,079
The great majority were subject to only sub-threshold or mild procedures.
Our BRF remained closed during 2023. There were no animals used for scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 at St George's, University of London premises.