Bristol-Myers: NJ Cage Wash Accident Killed Monkey

Global biopharmaceuticals company Bristol-Myers Squibb has confirmed a New Jersey lab monkey accidentally remained locked in a cage being cleaned in near-boiling water last summer and was killed.

Details of the accident were noted in a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report obtained by the animal welfare group Stop Animal Exploitation Now. The group seeks to end the use of animals in laboratories. It made the report public Wednesday.

Bristol-Myers spokeswoman Jennifer Fron-Mauer tells Newark's The Star-Ledger newspaper the company immediately reported the accident to federal officials and began an internal investigation. She calls the accident "unfortunate."

The report states the monkey died July 1 at Bristol-Myers' lab in Pennington. It says the dirty cage was taken to a wash room for sanitizing and when it was removed later an employee found the dead monkey.
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