VISAKHAPATNAM: A complete halt in the air transport of laboratory animals within India has emerged as a major roadblock for scientific research, causing delays, financial losses and severe stress to transported animals.
In a conversation with TNIE, Dr Vijay Pal Singh, President of the Laboratory Animal Scientists Association (LASA) and senior scientist at CSIR-IGIB, New Delhi, and Dr RK Shakthi Devan, LASA Secretary and Senior Lead Scientist, Head - Veterinary Science Biocon Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Center, said the discontinuation of live-animal cargo services has forced research institutions to depend entirely on road transport, an option that is neither safe nor humane for sensitive laboratory species.
Dr Pal explained that Air India was once the only airline accepting live laboratory animals. “Earlier, we could book animals and receive them on the same day. Now, the same journey takes two to three days by road,” he said. The discontinuation was reportedly due to issues related to positive-pressure cabins in the designated sections of the aircraft. Laboratory animals such as immunocompromised or genetically modified models and disease-free strains require controlled environments.
Long road journeys, he noted, expose them to heat, stress and limited feed and water. More than 15 species of laboratory animals are used in research worldwide, including horses, mice, rats, rabbits, cats, dogs, pigs, monkeys, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish, birds, and several amphibian and reptile species. “Keeping the animals in the same cage for two or three days is not acceptable. Many die in transit. When animals suffer, our research suffers,” Dr Devan added.
These animals are supplied by Union government-approved research centres and licensed breeders. Every study involving animals requires clearance from the Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA).
According to LASA, the problem escalated after Air India stopped transporting live lab animals following its transition from a government-run enterprise to a private operator.
Researchers forced to use road transport
“Currently, no domestic airline is ready to accept laboratory animals,” they said.
This has forced researchers to transport animals across multiple States by road. “Moving animals from Hyderabad to Chandigarh or Bengaluru to Delhi now takes several hours, and sometimes days. Mortality is common, and the loss is significant for researchers,” they said.
While international airlines continue to bring imported laboratory animals to hubs like Bengaluru or Mumbai, domestic movement from these airports to research institutions again relies solely on road transport. “This last leg is the most stressful. Imported animals are highly sensitive and must remain free from infections. The long road travel defeats that purpose,” they explained.
All such tests must be conducted in CCSEA-approved laboratories by qualified scientists, following protocols laid down by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC).
The scientists said they would hold talks with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to seek push for measures from the ministry.