Preliminary survey on animal research statistics in Sri Lanka from 2010 onwards

BACKGROUND: Animal research is conducted in many countries across the world. However, concepts of recording and reporting the numbers of animals used vary. In the context of animal studies, inadequate reporting raises both ethical and scientific concerns. Sri Lanka has yet to publish data on animal research statistics. METHODS: The objective of this survey was to present the number and types of vertebrate animals used for research and establish the species used for different types of research studies. All facilities/personnel engaged in animal research were invited to participate and a web‐based survey was performed. RESULTS: Based on the data collected, rats and mice were the most widely used animals in Sri Lankan laboratories. Of these, the most reported model were rats of the Wistar strain (42%) and mice of the BALB/c strain (15%). The highest number of animals used in laboratory research occurred in 2011, with a 12% decrease observed in 2012.