Beaufort Co. research center ‘has eyes on’ 43 missing monkeys, officials say

On November 8, 2024By Littum

YEMASSEE, SC (WCSC) – Yemassee Police have confirmed that nearly four dozen primates that escaped from a research center in Beaufort County have been located but not yet recaptured.

The police received a report around 13 Wednesday that a group of Rhesus Macaque monkeys escaped from their enclosures at the Alpha Genesis Research Center. Located off Castle Hall Road, the facility is minutes from the small town of Yemassee.

Police say crews from Alpha Genesis are working to catch them with food.

“It’s really just waiting and it’s frustrating because we want them back sooner or later. You can’t chase them because they spread. In this form they should stay in the same area and we should see some come back,” says Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard.

The crew consists entirely of young females weighing about 6 or 7 pounds each. Alpha Genesis reports that none of these animals have been used in testing and are “too young” to carry disease.

“It was 100% down to human error. The caretaker who normally takes care of these monkeys entered the enclosure and failed to secure two doors behind her,” says Westergaard.

Longtime business owners and neighbors in Yemassee say an escaped monkey is nothing shocking, and many are used to the facility being nearby.

“That was the surprise, the number. We’ve seen one or two on the side of the road before, but we’ve never heard of so many getting loose,” says Lowcountry Living Room owner Charlotte Murray.

“Crazy, somebody must have left the door open or something, I don’t know. Everybody in Yemassee has been talking about it pretty much all day today,” said Jerry’s Tow and Garage owner Jay Cook. “We know that road like Monkey Farm Road.”

The Alpha Genesis website claims their research uses “specific pathogen-free” primate models.

The facility faced violations from the USDA, including a warning filed in 2022 and a fine in 2017. The 2022 notice alleges the center violated primate housing, handling and veterinary care guidelines.

The 2017 report stems from a document released by the animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now, which reported a $12,600 fine for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Two of these violations included failure to secure primates.

Earlier we reported that Alpha Genesis had not seen a critical breach of the note. But after further review, the center received a memo from the USDA in 2023. was related. The violation was related to improper care of enclosures, which could have negative health effects on primates.

A primate testing expert from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a statement claiming the facility’s recent actions “put the public at risk and consistently do not improve human health.”

“They breed, they import, they sell and they experiment with monkeys. Generally, it’s macaques. Alpha Genesis has about 6,000 macaques in their colonies,” says Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel. “They’re scared, they’re hungry, they’re cold, they are wet. I mean, it rained last night. They try to get as far away as they can.”

Since 2022, Alpha Genesis has not had another “critical” violation of note.

South Carolina Congressional District 1 Representative Nancy Mace released the following statement in a mail to X:

We are diligently gathering all relevant information to keep our constituents informed about the recent escape of primates from Alpha Genesis Inc. in Beaufort County. Our office has been in direct communication with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and is working closely with their team to monitor and assess the situation. We are withholding any formal statements until we have a full understanding of all the facts. Follow along…

Police and deputies are asking the public to stay away from the area of the Castle Hall Road facility because the monkeys are skittish and any further noise or movement could prevent them from being recaptured.

Authorities say anyone who finds one of the monkeys should not approach the animal and should call 911 immediately.