In collaboration with a team of Turkish researchers, scientists at the University of Hawaii-Mānoa have successfully bred the first litter of neon rabbits. The litter was conceived by injecting luminescent proteins from a jellyfish into rabbit embryos. The outcome of the experiment was two small two bunnies that hop, twitch their noses and radiate a bright green under florescent light.
This litter is not the first instance of florescent rabbits however. The inhuman experimentation with rabbits first began in 2000 when a French artist and scientist first conceived, Alba, the first "florescent bunny” as an art installation.
Sadly, rabbits aren’t even the only species that have been genetically engineered to glow in the dark. Over the years, scientists have created pigs, sheep, monkeys, puppies and kittens that light up like mammalian lightening bugs under black lights. And you can readily purchase transgenic fish in six brilliant colors under the brand name GloFish.
Scientists do not mean these bunnies to be produced only for show either. It is their intention to use these poor defenseless animals as a sort of guiding light to trace genetic transfers. For example, if the animal glows, scientists know that a transfer of genes has been successful.
The horrific act of genetic testing on these poor rabbits and other defenseless animals must stop. Demand that the researchers on this project find other means to conduct their research that does not rely on animal testing.
Sign this petition to show your support of this cause. Together we can make a difference.
