Rodney, or monkey #17885, is assigned to Martha Neuringer for an Omega-3 fatty acid study. He is one of the self-mutilating monkeys that In Defense of Animals (IDA) is insisting be released to a sanctuary for retirement and rehabilitation. All of the monkeys in Martha Neuringer's study number 323, the "Dietary Deprivation of Fatty Acids," were taken away from their mothers at birth. The lack of vital nutrients, combined with being raised in isolation contributes to their bizarre, psychotic behaviors. Despite Rodney's acute self-destructive behavior, Martha Neuringer refuses to humanely euthanize him.