LEDE-pc-110924-hh-yemasseemonkeys04.JPG
A pair of rhesus monkeys at an Alpha Genesis facility in Early Branch,
Nov. 8, 2024, two days after 43 monkeys escaped from another company
facility about six miles away in Yemassee.
YEMASSEE — A quest for freedom by a troop of monkeys in the South
Carolina Lowcountry unfolded when 43 female [1]primates escaped from
their breeding facility.
Yemassee Police Department announced that one had been safely recovered
unharmed on November 9.
The other 42 remained at large. Police asked the public not to fly
drones over the free monkeys because drones "spook" the primates.
Many of them have been seen and heard, even cooing to each other, said
police and a top official with [2]Alpha Genesis Primate Research
Center.
"We have had several monkeys come back to our property, but have yet to
secure any," Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said in a text. "They
are basically just hanging out in close proximity. We are feeding them
and all appear to be in good health."
In a post to Facebook, Yemassee police reported that the rhesus
macaques were "playfully exploring the perimeter fence of the facility,
engaging with those still inside by cooing to them."
"We kindly urge the public to stay clear of this area as Alpha Genesis
works diligently to safely recover these animals and return them to
their habitats unharmed."
[3]Great primate escape: Dozens of monkeys on lam from Lowcountry
breeding facility
The monkeys saw their opportunity at 1 p.m. Nov. 6 when a caretaker at
[4]Alpha Genesis left two doors to an enclosure unsecured. While the
employee cleaned, the monkeys fled, beginning a fugitive search that
has captivated South Carolina and the world.
Most of the monkeys have stayed near the facility, though some
residents reported sightings up to 5 miles away the morning of Nov. 8,
said Yemassee Councilman David Paul Murray.
Alpha Genesis is spearheading the effort to recapture the primates,
though the police department is fielding calls and passing sightings
along to the company. Anyone who encounters the primates should call
911 rather than attempting capture or contact.
Leader in primate breeding and research
Alpha Genesis is one of the world’s largest breeders of monkeys for
research and medical testing. It also conducts research on primates.
The company has participated in preclinical primate research studies in
vaccine development, therapeutic drug therapies, viral pathogenesis,
small molecule administration, pharmacokinetics and experimental
surgical procedures, according to its website.
Alpha Genesis satellite.jpg
A satellite view of the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee, S.C.
Google Earth/Provided
From 2014 to 2023, Alpha Genesis used or controlled at least 3,466
animals for tests, experiments, teaching, research or surgery, federal
records show.
The group of small rhesus monkeys that escaped are disease-free and too
young to be used for testing, Westergaard previously told The Post and
Courier.
A few studies available through the National Institutes of Health show
that Alpha Genesis in recent years has been involved in research
projects focused on simian-human immunodeficiency virus, or SHIV;
antibodies to SARS-related viruses to prepare for future coronavirus
pandemics; and onchocerciasis, or river blindness, a disease caused by
a parasitic worm.
Federal spending records indicate that Alpha Genesis' Yemassee site has
been award 122 contracts dating back to 2005. The total value for that
work was pegged at $90 million, though the potential value of those
contracts is indicated to be nearly four times that amount.
Alpha Genesis houses 6,701 primates, according to a federal inspection
report from May. In addition to the Yemassee campus, the company has a
satellite facility off Old Salkehatchie Road in Early Branch, located
in Hampton County. Alpha Genesis also signed a federal contract last
year to care for a colony of about 3,000 rhesus monkeys on Morgan
Island in Beaufort County.
Escape captures widespread attention
The mid-autumn sabbatical has garnered attention from animal rights
advocates, who have seized the opportunity to chide Alpha Genesis. A
common refrain among onlookers is: "Let them be free."
[5]The best memes (so far) about the 43 monkeys who escaped from an SC
research center
"The recent escape of 40 monkeys from a South Carolina research
facility highlights the urgent need to end the use of primates in
research. These intelligent, social animals deserve protection, not
exploitation," Kathleen Conlee of the Humane Society of the United
States, wrote in an email to The Post and Courier.
Anthony Bellotti is president and founder of White Coat Waste Project
which opposes taxpayer funded animal experiments. He issued a statement
saying his organization had for years been investigating Alpha Genesis,
which he denounced for abusing primates.
Some on social media raised concerns that the monkeys would be
euthanized once they are captured. Westergaard assured that the monkeys
would not be killed. Instead, they will receive a physical exam and
extra treats of fruit, vegetables, and "probably some peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches," he texted.
The primates will be kept together and monitored by veterinary staff.
After 30 days, they will be reintroduced to the general population,
Westergaard said.
An expert with scientific animal studies advocacy group Americans for
Medical Progress said generally the wellbeing of the animal would be
the first priority. Caretakers would evaluate the monkeys and then
proceed depending on the results, said Naomi Charalambakis, science
policy and communications director of the nonprofit.
Charalambakis called the narratives from anti-animal testing advocacy
groups “unfortunate.” She said eliminating primate medical research
would do significant damage to public and animal health.
In Yemassee, an occasional escaped monkey isn’t shocking, said Murray,
the local councilman. In 2016, 19 monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis.
The primates were returned home about six hours later.
JUMPSECONDARY-pc-110924-hh-yemasseemonkeys03.JPG
Downtown Yemassee, Nov. 8, 2024, two days after 43 rhesus monkeys
escaped from a nearby research and breeding facility.
Robert Scheer/Staff
The media attention of the situation is, however, unusual for the small
Lowcountry town with a population of less than 1,100 residents. The
town administrator received more than 100 phone calls from across the
globe related to the monkey escape, many from reporters.
“Most people in this area don’t bat an eye,” Murray said of random
monkey sightings. “They take it in stride and say, ‘Welcome to
Yemassee.’ ”
SECOND-pc-110924-hh-yemasseemonkeys02.JPG
Motorists and a sign in front of the Alpha Genesis facility in
Yemassee, Nov. 8, 2024, two days after 43 monkeys escaped.
Robert Scheer/Staff
Reach Tony Kukulich at 843-709-8929.
References
Visible links:
1.
https://www.postandcourier.com/beaufort-county/news/yemassee-monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina/article_5b4dcc40-9cb2-11ef-9595-57948042780d.html
2.
https://www.alphagenesisinc.com/
3.
https://www.postandcourier.com/beaufort-county/news/yemassee-monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina/article_5b4dcc40-9cb2-11ef-9595-57948042780d.html
4.
https://www.alphagenesisinc.com/
5.
https://www.postandcourier.com/news/escaped-monkeys-sc-memes-alpha-genesis/article_be61f418-9de9-11ef-9b5a-e78c28654cdf.html
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