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Tübingen (dpa / lsw) - According to a report on surgical interventions on the brains of crows at the University of Tübingen, animal rights activists want an end to the experiments.

"We demand that these animals are immediately handed over to real animal rights activists and that the suffering of the experiments ends immediately," said the association "Soko Tierschutz" on Monday.

"The animal experiments on crows at the University of Tübingen do not provide any outstanding knowledge and are therefore inadmissible anyway."

Based on research by animal rights activists, the "Spiegel" reported that the university's animal physiologists had also obtained crows from the Nabu bird protection center for their research on learning processes in the brain and working memory. According to Nabu, there were a total of eight dead and seven live carrion crows from 2011 to 2015. One had said in an initial reaction that nothing was known about the nature of the experiments.

It was still unclear on Monday whether electrodes were also implanted in the brains of the animals of the Nabu, for example to measure reactions to optical stimuli.

The professor in charge said nothing about it, reported Nabu country chief Johannes Enssle.

"I'm disappointed about that."

It is true that Nabu failed to ask what exactly happened to the animals at the time.

But even now the scientist leaves this in the dark.

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A university spokeswoman said that the functioning of nerve cells can only be examined through so-called invasive interventions.

Both the professor and the university have always dealt with this fact transparently and responsibly.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science named the work in 2020 as one of the “Research Breakthroughs of the Year”.

The "Soko Tierschutz" doubts whether and when the necessary special permits for the crows of the Nabu were granted.

A spokesman for the responsible regional council in Tübingen said, however, that the authority was not aware of any violations or ambiguities in connection with the animal experiments.

The university also stated: "All animal experiments on crows were presented in detail to the authorizing authorities in advance and approved on the basis of the German Animal Welfare Act."

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210426-99-359709 / 2

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Reaction of the Nabu

"Spiegel" report (payment barrier)

Information about research with crows in Tübingen

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Message from "Soko Tierschutz"

Report from "Soko Tierutz"