▁Professor ▁Col in ▁Bla kem ore , ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Medical ▁Research ▁Council ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 3 – 2 0 0 7 , ▁is ▁opposed ▁to ▁grant ing ▁rights ▁to ▁non - human ▁ap es , ▁stating ▁" I ▁can ▁see ▁no ▁current ▁necessity ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁great ▁ap es , ▁and ▁I ' m ▁pleased ▁that ▁they ' re ▁not ▁being ▁used ▁and ▁that ▁every ▁effort ▁is ▁being ▁made ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁other ▁prim ates . ▁But ▁I ▁worry ▁about ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁where ▁the ▁moral ▁boundaries ▁lie . ▁There ▁is ▁only ▁one ▁very ▁secure ▁definition ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁made , ▁and ▁that ▁is ▁between ▁our ▁species ▁and ▁others ." ▁Bla kem ore ▁suggests ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁necessary ▁to ▁perform ▁research ▁on ▁great ▁ap es ▁if ▁humans ▁were ▁threatened ▁by ▁a ▁pan demic ▁virus ▁that ▁aff lic ted ▁only ▁humans ▁and ▁other ▁great ▁ap es . ▁The ▁British ▁Union ▁for ▁the ▁Ab ol ition ▁of ▁Viv ise ction ▁described ▁Bla kem ore ' s ▁st ance ▁as ▁" back ward - looking ." ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁develop ments ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁America ▁A ▁study ▁commission ed ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Institute ▁of ▁Health ▁( NI H ) ▁and ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Medicine ▁( IO M ) ▁concluded ▁in ▁a ▁report ▁( see ▁report ▁brief ) ▁released ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁that ▁‘ while ▁the ▁ch imp anze e ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁valuable ▁animal