40 primates escape from ‘Yemassee monkey farm’ in Beaufort, Hampton counties

On By Littum

(This story has been updated with new information.)

YEMASSEE, SC — If you live in Hampton County, you know that local legends abound about rogue, runaway primates at the “Yemassee monkey farm,” and many locals can’t drive by the facility without someone in the car cracking jokes: “Wanna stop up and say hello to your relatives?” “If you kids don’t shut up out there, I’ll put you out here with the rest of the monkeys!”

But escaped monkeys are no joke in Hampton and Beaufort counties this week as local police and city officials alert the public about approximately 40 primates that escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center Wednesday night.

Yemassee Town Administrator Matt Garnes told The Hampton County Guardian that the escape occurred around 21 Wednesday, and news of the mischievous monkeys was posted shortly after on the Yemassee Police Department and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Facebook pages.

“These are the smaller type of breeds,” Garnes said, “We’re not talking about Caesar from Planet of the Apes. But if you see any primates, don’t approach or try to interact with them, or feed them, call 911.”

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

The primates escaped from the site on Castle Hall Road, which is in Beaufort County, but Alpha Genesis also has a location in Hampton County. Garnes added that YPD, BCSO and Alpha Genesis are working together to contain these strays.

YPD informed citizens Thursday morning that traps have been set around the area and YPD is currently on scene using thermal cameras in an attempt to locate the animals. However, the rainy weather hinders their efforts.

“Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering their homes,” YPD warns. “If you spot any of the escaped animals, please contact 911 immediately and refrain from approaching them. We appreciate your patience and cooperation, further updates will be released as they become available.”

At 10:18 a.m. Thursday, the YPD posted on its social media accounts the exact number and species of missing animals: 43 rhesus macaque primates. Local police added that no one had been recaptured at that time.

Rhesus macaques average about 19-25 inches in length, excluding the tail, and males average about 11 kg. in weight, with females around 8.5 kg., according to brittanica.com. Rhesus monkeys, which have orange legs and rumps, can thrive in a variety of climates and habitats.

Alpha Genesis spokespeople did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment and additional information.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time monkeys have “made a break for it” and escaped from custody in the town of Yemassee, Garnes said, confirming the truth behind local legends.

“It’s happened before,” he confirmed. “The leaks are few and far between, but they’ve happened. They’ve gotten out and they were later recaptured and okay.” out for them at night.

The Hampton County Guardian published an in-depth feature on the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in 2011, and you can read more below.

Yemassee ‘monkey farm’ links to Murdaugh crime saga

Of course, like most things in Hampton County these days, the “Yemassee monkey farm” has a connection to the Alex Murdaugh murder case and the international crime saga.

During Murdaugh’s double murder trial in the spring of 2023, it was revealed during jury selection that one of the jurors, Juror 785, now identified as Myra Crosby, worked at the monkey farm. This information was later leaked online, to the dismay of many true crime fans after the trial.

Crosby, also known as “The Egg Lady” or “The Egg Juror” because she took a dozen eggs with her when she was dismissed from the jury for alleged misconduct, has since published a book “Because enough is enough.”

In that book, Crosby discusses why she feels she was wrongfully dismissed from the jury and claims that Murdaugh may not have received a fair trial.

More about the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center

In 2011, the author visited the center to get a first-hand look behind the scenes, and The Hampton County Guardian published an in-depth feature on the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in 2011. Here are the highlights below:

After driving through the eerie, Spanish-moss-covered darkness of Old Sheldon Road, a southern sense of mystery and mischief begins to set in, and tales of wild monkeys in the woods abound, but there’s more science than mystery going on at Alpha Genesis’ Yemassee Primate Center at Castle Hall Road, President and CEO Dr. Greg Westergaard to The Hampton County Guardian during an interview in 2011.

“We get a lot of unusual calls from here with alleged ‘sightings’,” says Westergaard. “One lady said she saw seven or eight gorillas. Usually it’s a possum, a raccoon or a cat.”

Other passers-by often whisper among themselves, “I wonder what they’re doing with the monkeys in there?”

The facility has certainly been the talk of the nearby town and the target of animal rights groups.

In 2008, the center was the victim of a hoax bomb threat. A national animal rights group staged a protest in 1998. In 2011, a group from Savannah Animal Advocacy staged a peaceful protest outside the facility.

But Westergaard would like people to know more about the monkey business that takes place at his center, which primarily breeds and houses primates, which are often an important tool for developing cures for countless diseases.

His job is to raise healthy, well-cared for animals. Animals are mostly grouped as they are in the wild, with seven or eight females per male. Mature females typically produce one offspring each year throughout their lifetime.

“We are primarily a breeding facility. Our overall goal is the health of the monkeys and the reproduction of the monkeys. We want them to be healthy, happy and reproductive.

“We mostly breed animals for research purposes,” he added. “We do some behavioral studies here, and we do studies that are quite low-impact, like taking blood. None of the animals here are infected with any diseases, and the studies do not represent any danger to the monkeys or the humans here.”

Established in 1964, the original colony was created to provide animals for polio vaccine research. Today, the center houses approximately 5,000 monkeys from Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Species include marmosets, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, African greens and several New World species.

Animals raised in Yemassee are sold only to USDA-licensed research facilities, Alpha Genesis says, where they are used in accordance with applicable legal and ethical practices to advance vaccine development and cure a wide range of diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and more.

“Everybody has been affected by all these diseases. You need a population on which you can test possible life-saving procedures. Do you use humans or a minimal number of non-human primates? You only have so many choices,” Westergaard said.

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

The Yemassee Primate Center is actually two sites totaling 35 acres, one in Hampton County on Old Salkehatchie Road and the most visible one on Castle Hall Road in Beaufort County. In 2011, the center employed 70 people, most of them local, many of them long-term employees.

“The majority of our staff is dedicated directly to looking after the monkeys. With feeding and sanitation, it’s very labor intensive. It’s like running a small town,” said Westergaard.

Animals, identified by chest tattoos and painted arm markings, are housed in indoor facilities as well as outdoor enclosures up to 20 feet high. Staff use these markings to observe and record information about these animals in a huge database.

Westergaard is a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Washington in Seattle. He uses his expertise to help find ways to minimize fighting among the monkeys and maximize compatibility.

“They all have their individual personalities, likes and dislikes. They have their friends they hang out with, they have the monkeys they don’t hang out with. Everything you can imagine for a cocktail party, minus the cocktails,” said he .

Staff often pick favorites and befriend different monkeys and even give them pet names. The center employs full-time veterinarians as well as several veterinary technicians. Each animal is observed at least twice a day, seven days a week, to monitor their general health. Staff wear protective masks, gloves and clothing to protect both themselves and the primates.

“Monkeys and humans are very closely related. If you have a cold, it is very likely that you can give it to one of the monkeys,” he added. “It’s a lot like running a nursery: if you get sick, it spreads pretty quickly.”

The employees also build toys and all sorts of “monkey bars” for the primates to play with.

“Nonhuman primates are very intelligent, and they like to keep their hands busy,” Westergaard said.

In addition to Monkey Chow (yes, it’s made by Purina), monkeys also get regular visits from a fruit truck.

But back to the monkey stories. Have there ever been any refugees? Could monkeys survive on their own in the Lowcountry?

“It’s extremely rare for an animal to come out – since I’ve been here, only one or two have come out and not been found,” Westergaard said. “Generally they jump back in to be with their friends. The proboscis monkeys would probably manage on their own, but the rest wouldn’t do without heat in the winter.”

According to its website, Alpha Genesis is AAALAC (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care) accredited and has a comprehensive ethics and compliance program to ensure employees comply with all legal, regulatory and ethical requirements.

For more information about Alpha Genesis, go to AlphaGenesisInc.com.