The house of UC Santa Cruz molecular biologist David Feldheim was firebombed, forcing his family to flee the burning building through a window in what police officials say was one of two attacks directed against biomedical researchers. In the other attack a researcher's car was firebombed in his driveway.

According to the university, these attacks are just the latest in a string of incidents involving California-based biomedical researchers who use animals in their studies. Last February masked intruders confronted a scientist in his home. Other researchers' homes have been vandalized and some have been targeted with harassing phone calls.

Late last year all 10 chancellors in the state's university system affirmed their support for the ethical use of animals in biomedical research. But California is becoming more and more like the UK, where animal rights groups have long used threats and harsh intimidation tactics to try to force scientists to stop the use of animals in their work.

- read the article [1] in the New York Times

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