Commercial organisations accounted for the largest share of animals being used for research, testing and teaching in New Zealand in 2010.
The 2010 annual report from the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee is the most up-to-date record detailing how 242,149 animals were used for research, testing, and teaching purposes.
Animal use by different groups in New Zealand has dropped by 29% during a three-year period from a record high of 341,520 recorded in 2008.
Universities accounted for 28.9% - the second largest group - in 2010, the report says. The 2010 universities figure of 69,993 was 8646 fewer animals than the overall total for 2009.
Figures released by the University of Otago for animal use in 2010 (11,365) are the equivalent of a 4% share of the New Zealand total in the same year.
Otago's animal use figure equates to a 16% share of the total usage by New Zealand's universities in 2010.
The number of animals being used for research purposes by universities in 2010 has dropped 43% from a high of 123,739 in 2008.
More animals were used for testing (+7962), veterinary research (+4901), basic biological research (+4000), animal husbandry (+2621) and medical research (+1945). The reduction in animal numbers used by universities was largely due to a decrease of 17,970 animals used for teaching, the report says.
University of Otago research and excellence deputy vice-chancellor Prof Richard Blaikie said research with animals, at Otago made a major contribution to both the health and welfare of people and animals.
"Animal research is often used in improving the outcomes for people with preventable diseases. Research and teaching areas at Otago which use animals include surgical training workshops, cardiovascular disease and cancer."
Publicly available information about animal use at the University of Otago is hard to source, with most links on the tertiary institution's website for animal welfare blocked to outside searchers.
A pamphlet from the university's Animal Welfare Office, which sets out guidelines for PhD candidates working with experimental animals, details five steps which need to be considered before animals can be used.
Otago's Animal Welfare Office was established in 2001 in Dunedin to assist researchers and students with their use of animal models in research, testing, and teaching.
The office serves to underpin the university's three animal facilities: the Biomedical Research unit in Wellington, the Christchurch Animal Research Area, and the Hercus-Taieri Resource Unit in Dunedin.
