Monkeys that escaped from Alpha Genesis in Yemassee, SC are still at large

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Forty-three monkeys that escaped their facility in South Carolina were still at large Friday morning, the Yemassee Police Department told USA TODAY, although they had been located and efforts were being made to recapture them.

Rhesus macaque primates, described as “very young females weighing approximately 6 – 7 lbs,” escaped from Alpha Genesisa primate research facility in Yemassee, a small town about 42 km from Beaufort, around 13.00 Wednesday, The Yemassee Police Department said in the 5:50 pm advisory Thursday. The primates escaped after a caretaker failed to secure the doors, Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said, according to the police department. It was initially reported that 40 monkeys escaped, but the number has since been confirmed to be 43.

Police said the animals have never been used for testing given their young age and size, and a spokesman for Alpha Genesis told police that “these animals are too young to carry disease.”

The monkeys are “believed to be in the wooded region surrounding the facility,” and officers are assisting Alpha Genesis staff, who “attempted to lure the animals back using food,” to capture the animals.

Residents are advised to exercise caution, avoid the area

Residents in Yemassee and surrounding areas were “strongly advised” to secure all doors and windows to prevent the animals from entering their homes.

Authorities have also advised residents to “refrain from approaching” or interacting with the monkeys and to immediately call 911 if they see any of the escaped animals.

“These animals are very sensitive and easily startled,” the Yemassee Police Department said. “The public are advised to avoid the area as these animals are described as skittish and any further noise or movement may hinder their safe capture.”

It is not the first time the monkeys have escaped the facility. In 2016, 19 monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis and were captured almost six hours later, according to The Post and Courierwhile 26 monkeys escaped in December 2014.

Alpha Genesis – which carries out research projects for government, university and private industry clients, according to their website − did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the incident.

How many monkeys does Alpha Genesis have?

Alpha Genesis has approximately 5,000 monkeys in two locations from Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Species include marmosets, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, African greens and several New World species.

While the primates fled the site on Castle Hall Road in Beaufort County, Alpha Genesis also has a location in neighboring Hampton County, according to the Hampton County Guardian.

What is Alpha Genesis?

Alpha Genesis Inc. describes itself as “the world’s leading provider of the finest non-human primate products and services” on its website.

The facility says its “experienced and caring staff” is “dedicated to conducting humane research with nonhuman primates to advance knowledge in primate biology and to address human health issues.”

Alpha Genesis President and CEO Dr. Greg Westergaard told The Hampton County Guardian during a 2011 interview that the facility is “primarily a breeding facility” and that they raise the animals for “research purposes.”

“Our overall goal is the health of the monkeys and the reproduction of the monkeys,” Westergaard told the Hampton County Guardian. “We mostly breed animals for research purposes. We do some behavioral research here, and we do studies that are pretty low-impact, like drawing blood.”

“None of the animals here are infected with any disease and the studies do not represent any danger to the monkeys or the people here,” said the executive director.

Alpha Genesis was established in 1964 to provide animals for polio vaccine research, according to the Hampton County Guardian.

Animals raised at Yemassee are sold only to USDA-licensed research facilities, Alpha Genesis told the Hampton County Guardian, where they are used in accordance with applicable legal and ethical practices to advance vaccine development and cures for a wide range of diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and more.

“I fully support alternatives to using animals for research … but I see no way around it at this point,” Westergaard had said. “But I also support medical advances that can help a large number of people. Our goal is to keep the animals as healthy as possible and use as few as possible.”

Monkey Island

In March 2023, Alpha Genesis also assumed management of South Carolina’s Morgan Island, also known as “Monkey Island”, home to approximately 3,500 rhesus monkeys, This was reported by Post and Kurer.

Located off the coast of Beaufort, Morgan Island covers an area of ​​more than 2,000 acres and is off limits to humans, according to Travel and Leisure.

Morgan Island was previously owned and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, while the monkey colony was owned by the National Institute of Allergy + Infectious Diseases.

Contributor: Michael M. DeWitt, Jr., Bluffton Today

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.