Beaufort Co. research center says 43 escaped monkeys stay close and stare

On November 9, 2024By Littum

YEMASSEE, SC (WCSC) – Officials at the Alpha Genesis Research Center have confirmed that as of Friday morning, the monkeys are still on the loose.

In a statement, Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard shared that the monkeys grab food from the staff before running away again. The monkeys stay nearby, but just look at the staff.

Westergaard’s statement reads as follows:

“We have eyes on the fence line where they are. The good news is they stay close. They’re just silly monkeys jumping back and forth and playing with each other. It’s kind of like a playground situation here. We’ve lured the traps, but they don’t go into them yet. We put out fruit and vegetables, and they jump down and take the food, and then jump up on the fence and the tree line again. They look at us the same way we see them. we haven’t got anyone back. i know it’s the best way to do it. if you go and chase them they’ll get scared and run away have them very close. It’s all like what we want to see.”

Yemassee Police received a report around 1 p.m. 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.

Crews from Alpha Genesis continue to try to trap 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, Westergaard said on Thursday.

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 went into the enclosure and failed to secure two doors behind her,” Westergaard said.

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 this many getting loose,” said Lowcountry Living Room owner Charlotte Murray.

“Crazy, someone 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 as 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.

The center also received a note from the USDA in 2023 for a violation related to improper care of enclosures, which could have negative health consequences for 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,” said 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.”

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.