How we conduct our studies, the 3Rs
The principle of the 3Rs basically boils down to our seeking to reduce the number of laboratory animals we need for our experiments to an absolute minimum and making our primates' lives as pleasant as possible. New technologies and improved selection methods allow us to do so.
The 3Rs: Reduction, Replacement, Refinement
In this way, we seek to obtain more information from fewer animals, meaning we will need fewer animals for testing purposes (reduction). In addition, we expend a great deal of energy on identifying ways to conduct research that do not involve animal testing (replacement). We also pay a lot of attention to ‘ethological research’, i.e., observation, and training. We observe our monkeys to try and give them even better living conditions, and we train our animals to try and reduce the level of anxiety they experience (refinement).