Members
of the Animal Liberation Front struck after dark, cutting through wire
fences and bundling the goats into the back of a van.
Nine protesters each grabbed a small goat and made off across a golf course to a waiting van.
The
group said it decided to take action after learning that the animals
are used for decompression tests by QinetiQ, which runs the Centre for
Human Sciences in Fort Road, Gosport.
The goats were part of a herd
of about 50 kept by the company, an MoD contractor, in a fenced
enclosure next to the Gosport & Stokes Bay Golf Club.
Police are
now investigating the break-in by the ALF, which has a history of
action against animal testing facilities and those connected with them.
A
statement from the ALF members involved said: 'We had a tight
time-scale as reconnaissance had revealed this to be a busy area,
surrounded by military bases.
'The difficult decision had been taken to only bring in one removal van.
'The
nine beautiful young goats all made it safely to their new homes, where
they can live out the rest of their natural lives free from a crushing
death in the hyperbaric chamber.'
The chamber is used for marine
research. It simulates the decompression divers go through at varying
depths and can result in the goats suffering from the bends, the
effects of which include joint pain, visual disturbances, loss of
balance, breathing difficulties, paralysis and death.
A spokeswoman
for QinetiQ said the tests it carries out are under strict guidelines
from the Home Office and can only be done on animals. If there was
another way of doing these tests, the company says, it would not be
allowed to use the animals.
She said: 'A small part of our business
is dedicated to saving submariners' lives and ultimately that enables
them to escape from submarines at depth.
'Our submariners are the best prepared in the world for deep sea escape.''
sue.wade@thenews.co.uk