A painful irony in the disrupted flow of primates to US research labs (Nature 483, 381–382; 2012) is that the number being used in laboratory experiments is at an all-time high.

If the scientific community is to maintain the support and trust of the public, which funds much of its work, then research practices and policies should change to reflect society's views on what constitutes the ethical treatment of animals. These changes need to be speeded up.

Committees that review and approve animal experiments at US facilities should not be dominated by those who work in animal labs and have vested interests in continuing animal research (L. A. Hansen et al. Animals 2, 68–75; 2012). There are too few members of the public on these US committees, and those who are involved say that they are often marginalized. In other countries, such as Sweden and Australia, half or one-third of committees must comprise non-scientists and animal-welfare representatives.

If scientists continue to disregard the substantial and growing public opposition to harmful research on primates and other animals, more protest campaigns are inevitable.