Thousands of animals have been blown up, poisoned or given deadly nerve agents during top-secret tests at a military laboratory, MailOnline can reveal.
More than 2,000 pigs, rabbits, monkeys, guinea pigs and mice have been killed in ‘barbaric’ experiments at the secretive Porton Down research base in Wiltshire.
The figures cover the last three years and were revealed following a Freedom of Information request by MailOnline.
But they have sparked outrage from animal rights campaigners, who branded the Ministry of Defence (MoD) ‘archaic’ and ‘reprehensible’.
The MoD said the tests were part of ‘life-saving’ research to help better protect British troops, and ‘cannot be conducted without the use of laboratory animals’.
But Dr Julia Baines, senior science policy manager for animal campaign group Peta, lambasted the MoD for the tests, which saw 2,044 animals slaughtered between 2021 and 2023.
‘Peta calls shame on the Ministry of Defence for conducting archaic and appallingly cruel experiments on monkeys, mice, pigs, and other animals, including injecting deadly viruses into their brains and exposing them to nerve agents,’ Dr Baines said.
‘Britain is also among the few Nato nations still using animals instead of state-of-the-art training methods for military medics.
Thousands of animals have been killed in military experiments at the secretive Porton Down research base in Wiltshire
‘It’s reprehensible that with the best technology in the world at its disposal and amid overwhelming public opposition to animal experimentation, the MoD still fails to modernise.’
Porton Down is the UK’s top secret laboratory where scientists carry out research into chemical weapons and deadly diseases.
Under constant armed guard, the secluded base contains some of the most lethal diseases known to man – including ebola, plague and anthrax.
But it also carries out research on biological and chemical weapons, and was where scientists analysed samples confirming that a Novichok nerve agent had been used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018.
The site uses animals as test subjects for various experiments.
The MoD refused to specify exactly how each animal was killed in the most recent figures, saying: ‘Chemical and biological weapons remain a real and present threat, as are battlefield injuries from conventional weapons.’
However, previous experiments have seen live pigs being shot and forced to inhale mustard gas, monkeys being infected with anthrax and guinea pigs being killed with nerve agent.
Other tests have involved pigs wearing body armour and being blown up, with scientists attempting to replicate severe battlefield trauma to test how well next-generation flak jackets can protect soldiers from injury.
Among those killed include dozens of pigs, new figures released by the MoD show (file image)
Between 2021 and 2023, 97 marmosets were killed during experiments (stock image)
Porton Down (pictured) is the UK’s top secret laboratory where scientists carry out research into chemical weapons and deadly diseases
It was where scientists analysed samples confirming that a Novichok nerve agent had been used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Pictured of emergency services in Salisbury in 2018 following Mr Skripal’s poisoning
Pigs are genetically similar to humans, with scientists having previously used experimental techniques to treat various types of battlefield-style wounds.
The number of animal procedures undertaken at DSTL Porton Down over the last three years is trending upwards, with 605 killed in 2021 compared to 644 in 2023.
In 2022, notably the year when Russia invaded Ukraine, there was a sharper increase in tests, with 795 animals slaughtered. The majority of those killed were mice, with 755 animals destroyed.
In all, figures show 64 guinea pigs, 97 marmosets, 83 pigs, three rabbits and 1,797 mice were killed in experiments at Porton Down between 2021 and 2023.
An MoD spokeswoman told MailOnline: ‘The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory conducts experiments ethically, in line with legislation.
‘As well as work on emerging defence technology, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory develops new vaccines, therapies and treatments that can save people’s lives.
‘They are also committed to reducing the number of experiments on animals by only applying for a licence if research cannot be achieved any other way.’
Almost 1,800 mice have been killed in military experiments at the Porton Down research base
Figures show that 64 guinea pigs and three rabbits were killed at the site between 2021 and 2023 (illustrated with stock pictures)
