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Andrea Polanco, PhD

@andreapolanco.bsky.social
1.1K followers 651 following 59 posts

Ⓥ Social science researcher at Faunalytics | #FirstGenPhD | PhD in animal welfare science | She/her | Views my own

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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Faunalytics @faunalytics.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
New from Faunalytics: 50% of non-vegan Gen Z Indians say they’re open to going vegan — but most just need better info to get there. 🌱 Full study → faunalytics.org/plant-based-...
faunalytics.org
The Multi-Generational Kitchen: How To Market Plant-Based Eating To Indian Gen Z Households - Faunalytics
Faunalytics surveyed hundreds of Indian Gen Z adults, asking about household food dynamics, food choice motivations, familiarity with plant-based products, and barriers to plant-based eating. Our repo...
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
We're looking for speakers for our upcoming remote symposium in Sept! Last year we had great talks on fish advocacy, anti-vivisection, and farmed animal welfare. Please consider submitting a proposal if you research/teach about any of these topics or another topic relevant to animal advocacy!
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Did companies meet the popular 2025 deadline to go #cage-free? As of February 2026, only 64% of global cage-free egg commitments with a deadline of 2025 or earlier have been fulfilled vs. 93% of those with a 2024 deadline. New analysis from @faunalytics.bsky.social 🔗 faunalytics.org/tactics-in-p...
Infographic titled “Figure 5. Summary of Evidence for Cage-Free Egg Corporate Outreach & Commitments.”

On the left, a vertical flow with icons presents four key points:

1) Consumers are willing to pay more for higher-welfare products—up to 40 cents more for cage-free eggs and $0.40–$1 more per pound for slow-growth chicken.
2) Corporate outreach encourages companies to make public commitments to higher-welfare policies.
3) Corporate commitments increase cage-free housing.
4) Cage-free housing and better chicken commitment (BCC) policies help prevent animal suffering.

On the right, a stacked bar chart compares progress toward commitments. For cage-free commitments, 64% have been fulfilled and 36% remain. For BCC commitments, only 6% have been fulfilled while 94% remain unmet. A note emphasizes that not all companies have kept their promises.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
"In an age when so many books are being banned, when the rights of women, and BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ people are regressing in many places, reading love stories can be a radical act of empathy and self-care." My wonderful friend's take on romance books: sophicandsmutty.substack.com/p/disdain-fo...
sophicandsmutty.substack.com
🚩Disdain for Romance is a Red Flag for Misogyny🚩
It's my hill and I will die on it if I want to
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
elisa freschi @elisafreschi.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
The list might get long, but some of my favourites: —Other minds. the octopus, the sea, and the deep origins of consciousness. P. Godfrey-Smith. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2016 1/ #AnimalMinds #OtherMinds
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
I want to read more about the philosophy of consciousness (not sentience) in non-human animals, particularly on self-consciousness and self-awareness. I know @birchlse.bsky.social has worked on this. Who else can I add to my reading queue? Thanks!
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Plot Twist 🔃 Scientists don’t want to be experimented on. A new qualitative study by @c-rp.bsky.social et al. asked animal research professionals to imagine themselves as the test subjects, under the control of hyperintelligent extraterrestrials applying the #3Rs to experiments on humans.
A graphic featuring a human being abducted by a spaceship over the background of a starry night sky. The text reads, "Don't worry... we use the 3Rs! A discussion of “We are the Earthworms! Aliens Using 3R on Humans: A Qualitative Experimental Ethics Study with Animal Research Professionals” by Rodriguez Perez, Persson, and Shaw"
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Useful new data from @faunalytics.bsky.social's @andreapolanco.bsky.social 👇
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
FYI for those who rely on online panels for data collection (e.g., surveys, polls, online experiments, etc): www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
AI chatbots are infiltrating social-science surveys — and getting better at avoiding detection
A researcher has created a chatbot that is indistinguishable from human participants in online surveys. Some researchers fear that a workhorse of social science is now under threat.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
@faunalytics.bsky.social tracked the # of animals used in research in Canada (since 1985) & the U.S. (since 1973) as reported by gov't or national agencies. The # of tracked animals in science is increasing in Canada, but decreasing in the U.S. (But the USDA excludes rodents, fish, & other species)
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Some people need to read this metaphor to "get it."
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Articles like this are frustrating to read. They rarely discuss the ethics of animal testing & just accept the status quo that testing on non-consenting animals is morally okay. If other animals had similar rights to humans in research, most of it wouldn’t be allowed: faunalytics.org/why-we-need-...
faunalytics.org
Why We Need Proper Ethical Guidelines On Animal Research - Faunalytics
Bioethicists argue that a ‘Belmont Report’ – a document which outlines ethical guidelines for human research – is long overdue for non-human animal research.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Say what you want about PETA, but they are the GOAT when it comes to antivivisection wins!
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Rise for Animals @riseforanimals.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Over a hundred years ago, one small brown dog became a symbol of resistance. His suffering sparked public outrage, riots, and a movement that still stands united against animal experimentation today. On National Brown Dog Day, we remember his story: riseforanimals.org/news/brown-d...
riseforanimals.org
Remembering the Brown Dog Who Helped Launch Our Movement
Over 100 years ago, the Brown Dog Affair exposed the cruelty of vivisection, sparked riots, and helped ignite a global movement against animal experimentation—an urgent story with lasting relevance to...
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Colleagues & I worked with @usgao.bsky.social for a year to clarify a major discrepancy in NIH's reported spending on animal experimentation. Now GAO has re-released its report to more accurately reflect what we do & don't know about NIH’s use of public funds: www.gao.gov/assets/gao-2... 🧵👇
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Surprising Ethics podcast @surprising-ethics.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
New episode! What should parents feed their kids? Meat or plant-based? We use ethics, science and psychology to tackle this big one, and put 2 philosophers' arguments to the test with parents
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
V skeptical of an animal testing company, w/ a history of negligence, claiming they should handle lab monkey retirement b/c sanctuaries can't (capacity is a real issue, but still). Buried in the PR fluff is the real goal: keeping retired animals for "future public health or biodefense emergencies."
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Colombia just made animal protection education mandatory in schools, a great real-world example of humane education, which I recently researched for @faunalytics.bsky.social! The theory: sustained education ➡️ deeper thinking ➡️ empathy ➡️ empowered change. But there’s a big challenge...
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
I finally completed my tattoo leg sleeve that commemorates laboratory animals (my PhD focused on lab monkeys). I love horror so I wanted this sleeve to be vengeful & to depict revenge (tw: gore). It was completed in 4 sessions by korztattoo in Montréal. #vegantattoo www.reddit.com/r/tattoos/s/...
reddit.com
From the tattoos community on Reddit: Anti-animal testing leg sleeve by Korztattoo/Lisa Korzenowski (Montréal, Canada)
Explore this post and more from the tattoos community
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
"The Environmental Protection Agency will stop using rabbits, mice, rats and other mammals to test the toxicity of chemicals by 2035." Big win for lab animals in the U.S. Unfortunately, however, the ban doesn't include fish. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/c...
nytimes.com
E.P.A. Promises a Ban on Animal Testing by 2035
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
The Humane League @thehumaneleagueus.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
🐔 We're hiring! Visit thl.link/4ba4oYx for more information on our 5️⃣ open positions!
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
These are my best pictures of 2025 😤
Screenshot of list titled “My Top 2025 films.” A grid of 12 movie posters is shown. The posters include Sinners, Frankenstein, The Ugly Stepsister, Bugonia, Dracula, No Other Choice, One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Weapons, 28 Years Later, Mickey 17, and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Tracks Investigations @tracksinvest.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Some stories are only revealed through sound. Industry Standard is a vinyl album built from undercover field recordings gathered during investigations into animal industries. Sonic Art meets Animal Advocacy. Out 18 Jan (new moon). Pre-order: www.tracksinvestigations.org/industrystan...
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
For those who enjoy experimental music or want to listen to something new, I highly recommend Industry Standard by @tracksinvest.bsky.social & Gnostic Front. GF manipulated audio from undercover footage into music. It's mindblowing. BUY the vinyl here: www.tracksinvestigations.org/industrystan...
A close-up image of a vinyl record (red and white swirls) titled 'Industry Standard', a new album by Gemunu de Silva (Tracks Investigations) and Gnostic Front. The center of the vinyl features a macaque caught in a net, a result of wildlife trapping.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
"Republicans have shown they can challenge the animal research field, but the real test will be whether it can do the same for the livestock sector."
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Some U.S. primate research centers are preparing for closure in case they lose more NIH funding. Oregon Health & Science University estimates $241m to close their primate center & move animals to other sites vs. $220m-$291m to convert to a sanctuary. Abolishing this industry is near!
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
ICE’s public violence should be a reminder that they commit brutal acts in private facilities too. Every report has been horrific and we only have the smallest glimpse into the horrors.
theguardian.com
2025 was ICE’s deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody
The deaths came as the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement, detaining a record number of people
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Started a list on @letterboxd.social focusing on fictional portrayals of the ALF. What am I missing? No documentaries please, just movies!
Letterboxd list called, "Animal Liberation Front" with a description, "fictional portrayals of the ALF or animal rights activists." There are four films on the list: Bold Native, Okja, 12 Monkeys, and 28 Days Later.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Great coverage of our poll and its implications for legal animal advocacy. Can advocates really challenge “commonly accepted” factory farming practices when that phrase is ambiguous—does it mean what the public believes or what Big Ag claims?
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
My fab colleague conducted desk research on how international orgs (IFC, UN FAO, & WTO) influence the growth of animal agriculture in low- & middle-income countries (LMICs). LMICs are the world's top-producing animal slaughter countries, with consumption predicted to ⬆️ by 14% in these regions.
A vertical stacked bar chart titled "Percentage of Global Animal Slaughter Totals by LMIC Status," comparing animal slaughter in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) versus non-LMIC countries. The chart displays six categories of animals, showing that LMICs account for the vast majority of slaughter in every category. 
Goats: 97% in LMICs, 3% in non-LMICs.
Sheep: 80% in LMICs, 20% in non-LMICs.
Cows: 71% in LMICs, 29% in non-LMICs.
Pigs: 67% in LMICs, 33% in non-LMICs.
Chickens: 66% in LMICs, 34% in non-LMICs.
Fishes: 64% in LMICs, 36% in non-LMICs (measured in live weight tons).
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Emily R. Trunnell, Ph.D. @ertrunnell.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Please share with journal editors in your networks!
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
"Science is a slaughterhouse." Not sure who wrote this editorial, but the opening line goes hard. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on animal testing: we can stop sacrificing millions of lives for our own health | Editorial
Editorial: New technologies can reduce our reliance on animal experiments. This isn’t just morally right, it could have scientific and economic benefits too
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Vegan Horizon @veganhorizon.substack.com · 02/12/2025
🚨 Whistleblower: I was paid by meat companies to spread lies and stir drama in vegan communities. "It was pretty gross. I knew it. I did it anyway." Read the full piece to find out exactly what they were paid to do: veganhorizon.substack.com/p/i-got-paid...
veganhorizon.substack.com
“I Got Paid $17/hr to Discredit Veganism Online”: A Whistleblower Just Exposed Big Meat's Smear Machine
“It was pretty gross. I knew it. I did it anyway.”
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Last week, the CDC (U.S.) said they'll ban monkey research. Today, Poland will ban fur farming. Incredible wins, esp considering how animals exploited for science and for fur tend to be sidelined in EA/effective animal advocacy circles. Thank you to all the activists who fight for these animals 💜
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Dr Jo Swabe @joswabe.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
It is indeed a historic moment. Polish President Karol Nawrocki has today signed off on legislation that will end the suffering of millions of animals on fur farms. This is huge because Poland is currently biggest fur producer in Europe!
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
We asked U.S. adults (~1k, representative) about their level of acceptability to standard animal agriculture practices, such as extreme confinement & painful mutilations. Unsurprisingly, most people don't approve 👇. Check out the full @faunalytics.bsky.social study: faunalytics.org/public-accep...
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Join us for our @faunalytics.bsky.social research symposium on Sept 18th! 🤩 Featuring a keynote by @dr-faraz-harsini.bsky.social, plus insightful talks on aquaculture, overlooked regions, legislation, animals in science, & effective messaging strategies. 🤓 Register for FREE: luma.com/ut1z9msp
luma.com
Fauna Connections 2025 · Zoom · Luma
Faunalytics is thrilled to present our 4th Annual Fauna Connections symposium, a free, virtual event designed for animal advocates, taking place on September…
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Dr. Ahmmad Brown & I researched inclusivity in the U.S. animal advocacy movement, before the #DEI backlash. Based on interviews w/ BIPOC individuals in/outside the movement (plus org leaders), & research on 200+ orgs, our latest @faunalytics.bsky.social report maps barriers & paths to inclusion.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
🧑‍🏫 Have you ever wanted to teach animal advocates about a topic you're passionate about? 📊 @faunalytics.bsky.social is looking for scholars to submit an expert overview presentation for our remote symposium in Sept! 📅 Submit by June 20th 🔗 Learn more + apply: faunalytics.org/fauna-connec...
faunalytics.org
About The Event - Faunalytics
Save the Date: Our 4th Annual Fauna Connections remote symposium will be held Thursday, September 18th, 2025.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 26/12/2024
So glad gothic horror is back. If you really enjoyed Nosferatu and Lily Depp's performance, you should check out Penny Dreadful with Eva Green - the best of possessed Victorian ladies 👀
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Did your partner or friend influence you to go vegan? In this Faunalytics study, we review the smoking cessation literature to hypothesize the peer influence of veganism! Quitting smoking & quitting meat have a lot in common, but can we expect the same social influences?
QUITTING SMOKING AS A PARALLEL FOR VEGANISM

Behavioral Similarities:
-Both are complex behavioral changes.
-Both are good for one’s health.
-Both are frequently-cued behaviors (in other words, our environments often trigger us to take these actions).
-Quitting meat and tobacco can be difficult and some folks have previously failed to quit.


Key Differences:
-Meat is socialized as Natural, Normal, Necessary, and Nice in a way that tobacco isn’t.
-Tobacco use has decreased globally, while meat consumption has been increasing in most countries.
-Motivations for veganism may be broader than health and may include ethics or environmental concerns.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
One of the saddest studies you'll ever read: 504 children (& their caregivers) in Gaza were surveyed & interviewed back in June: 49% of caregivers said that their children (72% boys vs. 26% girls) think they would die during this war. www.warchild.org.uk/sites/defaul...
warchild.org.uk
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Quebec imported hundreds of macaques from Cambodia last month: www.msn.com/en-ca/news/c...
msn.com
MSN
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Imagine being a uni student & using your life savings to travel to the US in hopes of gaining pro dev, but only to end up working in a factory farm where you were forced to participate in standard (cruel) industry practices for low pay & major health risks.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
In love with Japan 😍
A cup of vegan instant noodles on a table overlooking Mt. Fuji at sunset.
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Björn Jóhann @bjornjohann.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
In a Faunalytics study by @andreapolanco.bsky.social, she determined that animal protection groups have a pay gap for marginalized individuals. The study also identifies salary trends in the movement, which can prove helpful for non-profit workers advocating for themselves.
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Andrea Polanco, PhD @andreapolanco.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
Was excited to find this book at the leftist book sale today, I wish I had come across it in grad school!
Book cover for "Organize The Lab - Theory & Practice", edited by Science For The PeopleThe back cover of "Organize The Lab" book. It says, "Today, science is a billion-dollar enterprise operating through governments, universities, and industries. But like every other productive activity under capitalism, it wouldn't exist without scientists' labor. Recent waves of unionization campaigns have shown us that the only way to overcome precarious and oppression, which defines our everyday experience as workers in the lab, is through collective action. In this collection of essays, written by and for student workers, union organizers, and radical scientists within STEM academia, we seek to understand the structure we set out to change, share strategies for building power through labor organizing, and inspire scientists of all career levels to enact an alternative version of science" .
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Lisa Kramer @lisakramer.com · 17/11/2024
I created a starter pack of researchers studying animal advocacy, animal ethics, animal minds, animal law, plant-based and sustainable diet advocacy, and related disciplines. Please let me know who I missed, and please let me know if I included you but you prefer to be removed. go.bsky.app/SKnT1a6
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Mishiikenh Kwe @mishiikenhkwe.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
Buffalo running. Can you guys share this to help my old followers find me? I really depend on the old site for sales but don’t want my work used to train AI.
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Reposted by Andrea Polanco, PhD
Marina Bolotnikova @mbolotnikova.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
One of the wildest details to me behind the escaped monkey story: There's a colony of wild macaques on an island in South Carolina that the federal govt uses as a reservoir for lab monkeys, allowing a private company to oversee it & pluck monkeys for medical testing www.vox.com/future-perfe...
screenshotted text: "it turns out that it’s perfectly possible to live as a free-roaming rhesus macaque in South Carolina, where a more than four-decade-old population of the monkeys resides on the state’s Morgan Island, also known as “Monkey Island.”

Originally relocated from Puerto Rico between 1979 and 1980, the Morgan Island macaques now serve as a kind of reservoir of lab monkeys for the US government. Last year, Alpha Genesis won a federal contract to oversee the monkey colony there — in fact, the 43 escaped macaques had originally lived as “free-range” monkeys on the island before they were taken to be used for testing and research purposes, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told CBS News in a statement. While these monkeys may not be able to rejoin the Morgan Island colony on their own, the fact that they came from a wild population strengthens the view of them as animals who not only can live in the wild but who deserve to be free." 

Below the text is a photo of a mother rhesus macaque sitting on a tree branch cradling an infant macaque
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