Exposing Animal Experimentation
Research, Investigations, Advocacy
2026 Updates Below
Chimps to Chinchillas is the research and advocacy project founded by Eric Kleiman, an animal protection researcher with more than 30 years of experience investigating animal experimentation, documenting regulatory failures, obtaining media coverage, and helping to drive landmark policy outcomes. This site serves as a resource for advocates, journalists, students, and policymakers—providing documentation, analysis, case studies, and lessons he’s learned from successful campaigns. Eric, currently Senior Policy Advisor for the American Anti-Vivisection Society, is available for consultation, research support—including “tips and tricks” he has amassed over the past 30 years—media inquiries, and presentations to academic and advocacy audiences.
We believe that lessons from successful campaigns can help animals both now and in the future—from the landmark campaign to end experimentation on chimpanzees to the closure of the longest-tenured supplier of chinchillas for experimentation. Hence our name: Chimps to Chinchillas.
The importance of media, open records, credible research and investigations, dogged determination, and strong action cannot be overstated. Chimps to Chinchillas stands ready to assist advocates and further these goals, whether through our own research, investigations, and media outreach, or providing documentation, consultation, “tips and tricks,” and advice to advocates, based on over 30 years of experience in the field, and involvement in unprecedented achievements for animals.
We are also interested in conveying these “nuts and bolts” of advocacy to students and others, as illustrated on the “Podcasts & Presentations” page.
Watch an April 2025 presentation to a graduate class, or listen to the Species Unite Podcast below.
Effecting fundamental change for animals is possible. We’ve seen it before.
We are firm believers in our friends P.A.T. and S.A.M. — Passion, Anger, and Tenacity, coupled with Strategy, Analysis, and Media. We hope to continue helping in the quest to effect fundamental change for animals through research, investigations, documentation, media, education, and historical analysis.
UPDATES (non-media)
Discussion on Ethics in Animal Experimentation
Talk with Laura Ireland, Associate Director of Vermont Law and Graduate School Animal Law and Policy Institute, April 2026
Discussion includes:
The successful campaign to end invasive experimentation on chimpanzees
Regulatory issues and other aspects of experimentation on birds
The CDC’s historic shuttering of its in-house primate experimentation
Taking the long view in animal advocacy
Presentation on Animal Protection Policy
Masters in Animal Protection Class at Vermont Law and Graduate School, April 2025.
Discussion of the campaign to end chimpanzee experimentation
Closure of the world’s largest chimp lab
Use of FOIA and other public records laws
Protecting whistleblowers
Importance of media in effecting change for animals
Campaign strategies that might be effective today (and those that might not be)
Importance of legal challenges, such as petitions to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The primate trade
Species Unite Podcast
S9. E3: Eric Kleiman: Trafficked Monkeys, the Envigo Beagles and the Many Abject Failures of the USDA
“There is this long history, and what's important about history is history informs the present. History shows this is how we got here. Fred Coulston was like a villain out of central casting. I mean… it's almost like he was twirling his mustache… And he blamed me. He blamed me for bankrupting his lab. I mean, that's in documents from the federal government, not me by name, but In Defense of Animals.
“The thing is, at least he was honest about his viewpoints. At least he was honest to say, ‘these chimpanzees, I want to raise them like cattle.’ Whereas today you've got these slick PR people like Inotiv or Envigo, ‘Oh, animal welfare is our highest priority.’ It's the same mindset. At least he was honest about it. They're not honest anymore.”
– Eric Kleiman
Get in Touch
Eric is available for consultation, research support, media inquiries, and presentations to academic, advocacy, and law school audiences. If you are working on an animal protection campaign or an investigation, he welcomes the conversation.
📧 eric@chimpstochinchillas.org
717 347 8775