Sheep used in other research at Cambridge University.

We’ve today exposed grotesque and invasive experiments carried out on pregnant sheep and their unborn lambs at Cambridge University.

The research could involve up to 1,250 sheep over a 5-year period.  It involves inducing hypoxia in pregnant sheep - a condition in which the body is deprived of an adequate oxygen supply.

Cambridge University plans to place large bags over the animals’ heads or shut them in ‘low oxygen’ isolation chambers for long periods to see what impact this has on their unborn lambs.

The experiments are funded by the British Heart Foundation, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (funded by the Government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) and the Royal Society.

Cambridge University has permission to carry out these and other tests on 11,050 animals over 5 years, including:

• 1,250 sheep
• 150 pigs
• 150 horses
• 3,500 rats
• 6,000 mice

According to papers recently published by Cambridge University, pregnant sheep and their unborn lambs have been subjected to the following:

• Sheep had their uteruses cut open and the heads and legs of their unborn lambs were pulled out. Tubes were implanted into their veins to measure blood pressure and to enable blood samples to be taken. The lambs were then put back into the uterus which was sewn up with the tubes protruding out of the mother.
• Sheep were put into isolation ‘hypoxic chambers’ and exposed to low oxygen for 33 days.
• At the end of another experiment, a polyethylene bag or ‘respiratory hood’ was placed over the conscious mother’s head to maintain low oxygen conditions while they were transported to a different room to be killed.

Cambridge University also has permission to carry out other experiments on sheep. These could involve:

• compressing umbilical cords or cutting umbilical vessels during pregnancy so that unborn lambs do not receive enough nutrients
• surgically removing glands
• injecting the animals with hormones or drugs that affect growth and metabolism

Dr Katy Taylor, Director of Science at Cruelty Free International said: “We are calling for an end to these grotesque experiments on pregnant ewes and their unborn lambs. We think the public will be shocked to learn that such harmful and yet highly speculative research is supported by public and charity funding.”

Find out more about the arguments against animal testing.