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Animal rights protesters covered in blood have held a silent rally against animal testing at Cardiff University .

The university experimented on 52,564 animals last year, making it the eighth biggest user of animal research among UK universities.

It tested on 46,000 mice, 2,000 rats, and 3,500 other species including rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, frogs and fish.

But Cardiff University insists that the experiments are “essential” and their research animals are “maintained at the highest standards and used in minimum numbers”.

The Animal Justice Project were protesting on Friday in memory of the animals experimented on at the university.

52,564 animals used in experiments last year

The group of about 30 people were all dressed in black, with some wearing blindfolds while others had dipped their hands in fake blood.

Claire Palmer, founder of the Animal Justice Project, was outside the university with the other protesters. She said: “There’s a real need for this campaign. We want to be exposing the use of experiments in laboratories but we’re a very positive campaign – we want to work with students.

“We’re handing out literature and we have a hot line. As a zoologist myself I understand the pressure. A lot of students don’t want to use animals, but there’s a real culture of it – it’s always been done. It’s how to publish papers and get funding.

“We only launched two weeks ago but we’ve had an incredible response on social media.”

"A lot of students don’t want to use animals"

The project claims to have found evidence of several grisly experiments. They say mice have had their spines smashed in with weights and had rods dropped on to their heads – causing “severe and widespread inflammation”.

The project sent Freedom of Information requests to 110 universities as part of their Campus without Cruelty campaign, which aims to end the use of animal experimentation. More than four million experiments on animals took place last year and 48% of these were on university campuses.

Rachel Ward, Animal Justice Project Spokesperson in Wales, said: “Our new Campus without Cruelty campaign reveals Cardiff University to be one of the biggest user of animals in the UK, and the experiments here include some gruesome studies of questionable benefit to anyone.

“Sadly, as the university’s own figures show, these trauma experiments are likely to be only the very tip of the iceberg.

“Cardiff University prides itself on being a leader, and thus should lead by example and put an end to these archaic and cruel animal experiments once and for all.”

"The study of animals remains essential"

The university maintained that all their animal experiments are essential in advancing scientific understanding and that they use alternative methods of research wherever they can.

A Cardiff University spokesman said: “All of our research involving animals is aimed at the alleviation of human and veterinary disease through the advancement of medical, dental, biological and veterinary understanding.

“The study of animals remains essential. All animal-related research work at Cardiff University is carried out under the strict conditions imposed by UK legislation including stringent ethical scrutiny.

“We are fully compliant with and support the intention and purpose of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

“Our research animals are maintained at the highest standards and used in minimum numbers.

“Cardiff University is fully committed to the principle of the 3Rs [guidelines for the ethical use of animals in testing] and wherever possible the use of animals is avoided and alternative methods are employed.”