A whistleblower exposé with photo and video evidence alleges widespread abuse of beagles, rhesus macaques, and Göttingen minipigs, accusing the company of violating ethical and legal norms in animal testing
Published Jun 10, 2025 | 8:41 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 10, 2025 | 8:41 PM
Whistleblower allegations reveal severe animal abuse at Telangana testing lab
Synopsis: A whistleblower exposé released by PETA India accuses Telangana-based Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd of severe animal cruelty. The contract testing lab, which serves international clients, allegedly subjected beagles, monkeys, and minipigs to overcrowding, neglect, and painful procedures. Photographic and video evidence suggests violations of ethical and legal norms in animal handling and experimentation practices
A major contract testing facility based in Telangana is facing serious allegations of animal cruelty following a whistleblower exposé made public by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
The revelations pertain to Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd, a government-registered laboratory that conducts preclinical testing on animals for drugs, pesticides, and medical devices—often for overseas clients.
The exposé, which includes photographs and video evidence, alleges systemic abuse of animals including beagles, rhesus macaques, and Göttingen minipigs.
Whistleblowers claim that the company has violated both ethical and legal standards in the handling, housing, and disposal of animals used in testing procedures.
According to PETA India, the facility routinely conducted experiments that left animals sick, injured, or dead. The group described the findings as “the first of its kind” in India to expose the inner workings of a contract testing lab of this scale.
One of the key allegations involves the housing conditions for beagle dogs. Whistleblowers claim that Palamur Biosciences housed nearly 1,500 beagles in a space designed for approximately 800.
As a result, cages meant for two dogs reportedly held three or four, leading to increased aggression and frequent fights. Injuries, particularly to the dogs’ ears, were said to be common and often left untreated.
“The overcrowding, lack of social interaction, and competition for food led to extreme frustration and injuries,” a whistleblower stated. In some cases, animals reportedly sustained fractures due to rough handling by staff.
The exposé also alleges that dogs were injected with test compounds under the skin, resulting in painful infections and open wounds. Whistleblowers suggest that either the compounds or impurities caused abscesses that damaged tissue and led to further health complications.
“Depending on the location of the abscess, dogs could lose mobility, suffer intense pain, and experience weight loss,” one whistleblower said. Another claimed that animals were left to “suffer like hell.”
Photographic evidence reviewed by PETA India reportedly shows dogs lying in pools of blood, with signs of mouth and intestinal ulcers following testing procedures.
The laboratory is also accused of violating euthanasia protocols. According to whistleblowers, Palamur used thiopentone to euthanize dogs without sedating them beforehand—raising concerns about the animals experiencing distress in their final moments.
PETA India criticized the practice, calling it an “avoidable source of trauma” for the animals.
The report further alleges that the facility imported Göttingen minipigs from Denmark despite lacking a breeding license.
When one of the pigs gave birth, the facility’s head veterinarian reportedly ordered the killing of the eight to ten piglets using intracardiac injections—a method PETA India describes as extremely painful.
Although the company had a policy to provide enrichment and playtime for pigs, whistleblowers claim this was only done when clients were visiting. Otherwise, the pigs were confined and only handled for testing procedures.
Palamur is also alleged to have acquired wild rhesus macaques from a supplier in Rajasthan. According to the report, some of the monkeys tested positive for zoonotic pathogens, possibly including monkeypox.
Instead of reporting this, the company reportedly killed the infected monkeys and continued using others for experiments, potentially exposing employees and the surrounding community to disease.
Following the exposé, PETA India has submitted formal complaints to the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), and the National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA).
Dr. Anjana Aggarwal, Scientist and Research Policy Advisor at PETA India, called for immediate regulatory action. “We urge government regulators to end the torment of animals imprisoned at Palamur Biosciences. Anything less than the facility’s permanent shutdown is a green light for abuse,” she said.
The organization is demanding cancellation of the company’s license to conduct animal testing, prosecution under relevant animal welfare laws, and rehabilitation of surviving animals.
The revelations have cast a spotlight on the regulatory framework governing animal testing in India, especially in the burgeoning sector of contract research for global pharmaceutical and chemical companies.
Palamur Biosciences describes itself as “one of the largest preclinical service providers” in the country, a status that raises questions about oversight and accountability at the national level.
While authorities have yet to respond publicly to the allegations, the report is likely to intensify calls for stricter monitoring of animal research facilities and greater transparency in the approval and audit processes.
PETA India emphasized that the exposé is a wake-up call. “This is where scientific credibility goes to die,” Dr. Aggarwal said, urging the scientific and medical community to explore alternatives to animal testing and adopt cruelty-free methods.
(Edited by Ananya Rao with inputs from Sumit Jha)
