Australia has counted for the first time, nationwide, the number of rats and mice used in scientific research. A pilot study by the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) gathered data from all Australian states and territories relating to 2024, identifying 1,193,619 mice and 46,961 rats used by research institutions.
Until now, the lack of data from several states prevented a comprehensive view of the use of these animals, common in biomedical studies. The survey was presented at the organization’s annual conference in Sydney, and constitutes a first step toward establishing a national statistical baseline.
“Collecting national statistics was a recommendation first presented in a Senate inquiry committee report in 1989, which included 20 recommendations. However, the responsibility for communicating statistical data lies with the state and territory regulatory bodies, so the challenge has been to collect and consolidate statistics from different sources. Our pilot study shows that this is possible,” says Malcolm France, head of the ANZCCART project, quoted in a press release.
Most of the animals were used in research aimed at gaining a better understanding of how the body functions or at studying issues related to human and animal health. The collected data also indicate that the majority of studies had a minimal impact on the welfare of the animals. According to Malcolm France, although Australian institutions are subject to strict rules requiring prior ethical approval and high standards of care, the disclosure of numbers can help identify areas where animal protections need to be strengthened or where their use can be substituted with alternative methods.
Transparency to improve animal welfare
The publication of these statistics brings Australia closer to countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, where the disclosure of national data on the use of animals in research allows trends to be tracked and decisions about animal welfare to be supported.
“In the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, the publication of national statistics has long been standard practice. Year-to-year comparisons help define priorities in animal welfare and allocate resources, in addition to contributing to greater transparency, which is important for public trust in science,” says Malcolm France.
The official notes that the survey represents progress, although he acknowledges that the country still has work to do in this area. “This study is a first step that should have been taken long ago, but the support shown by stakeholders is a promising sign that Australia could soon catch up with other countries.”
ANZCCART is preparing a second study, which is expected to cover more species and other areas of research in which animals are used. The aim is to broaden knowledge about this practice and create a more comprehensive information base, allowing tracking of the numbers over time and supporting decisions about the responsible use of animals in scientific contexts.
