The University of Southampton openly shares the numbers of animals used in procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) as part of its commitment to the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in the UK.
The AWERB and researchers at the University consider it essentially important that steps are taken to ensure that animals experience minimal pain and suffering during any experimental process.
The table below shows the reported numbers and rounded percentages of animals used at the University of Southampton under ASPA for the previous five calendar years.
| The Number of Animals Used in Procedures Under ASPA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Mice | 20,340 (98.5%) | 19,787 (97.4%) | 14,719 (98.6%) | 12,055 (99%) | 12,083 (98.2%) |
| Rats | 104 (0.5%) | 86 (0.4%) | 37 (0.2%) | 13 (<1%) | None (0%) |
| Fish | 25 (0.1%) | None (0%) | None (0%) | None (0%) | 220 (0.8%) |
| Rabbits | None (0%) | None (0%) | None (0%) | 3 (<1%) | None (0%) |
| Chicken Embryos | 173 (0.8%) | 445 (2.2%) | 168 (1.1%) | 128 (1%) | None (0%) |
| Sheep | None (0%) | None (0%) | None (0%) | None (0%) | None (0%) |
| Total | 20,642 | 20,318 | 14,924 | 12,199 | 12,303 |
The table below shows the numbers of animals used at different severity thresholds for procedures under ASPA over the last four years.
| The Numbers of Animals Used at Different Severity Thresholds | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severity | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |||||
| Mice | Rats | Mice | Rats | Mice | Rats | Rabbits | Mice | Fish | |
| Sub-Threshold | 6,783 (34%) | 0 (0%) | 6160 (42%) | 0 (0%) | 5065 (42%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 5203 (43%) | 0 (0%) |
| Mild | 9,642 (49%) | 5 (6%) | 5250 (36%) | 3 (8%) | 4316 (36%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 3906 (32%) | 220 (100%) |
| Moderate | 3,124 (16%) | 42 (49%) | 3157 (21%) | 0 (0%) | 2474 (21%) | 11 (85%) | 3 (100%) | 2888 (24%) | 0 (0%) |
| Severe | 82 (<1%) | 0 (0%) | 106 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 128 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 64 (<1%) | 0 (0%) |
| Non-Recovery | 158 (<1%) | 39 (45%) | 46 (<1%) | 34 (92%) | 72 (<1%) | 2 (15%) | 0 (%) | 22 (<1%) | 0 (0%) |
| Total | 19,789 | 86 | 14,719 | 37 | 12,055 | 13 | 3 | 12083 | 220 |
The above data is collected and returned to the Home Office at the end of January each year. The figures for the number of animals used in procedures and severity thresholds for the previous year will be updated on this website as soon as possible, once figures have been sent to the Home Office.