Monkeys escape from the Alpha Genesis research facility in Yemassee, SC

by Junna Base November 8, 2024

43 monkeys running loose in South Carolina were found, but officials were working to recapture them Thursday afternoon.

They escaped from Alpha Genesis, a primate research facility in Yemassee, a small town about 26 miles from Beaufort, Yemassee police said in a post on Facebook. The department did not provide information about which monkeys escaped the facility. The company’s website says it conducts research projects for government, university and private clients involving cynomolgus monkeys, rhesus macaques and capuchin monkeys.

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

“Alpha Genesis is currently keeping an eye on the primates and is working to attract them with food,” police said in an update around noon local time on Wednesday, adding that the department is working with Alpha Genesis staff to address this situation solve.

Yemassee City Manager Matt Garnes, meanwhile, told The Hampton County Guardian, part of Bluffton Today and the USA TODAY Network that the “smaller types of breeds” escaped.

“We’re not talking about Caesar from the Planet of the Apes,” Garnes told the Guardian. “But if you spot primates, do not approach them, do not attempt to interact with them or feed them, but call 911.”

Authorities advised residents not to approach the monkeys and to call 911 immediately if they see any of the escaped animals.

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said in an alert Wednesday evening that it was working with local authorities to locate the escaped primates, adding: “We appreciate the public’s assistance in the effort to locate these animals and to return them to their enclosures.”

Alpha Genesis did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the incident. It is also not known whether the monkeys carried any diseases.

However, this is not the first time that the monkeys have escaped from the facility. According to The Post and Courier, 19 monkeys escaped Alpha Genesis in 2016 and were captured nearly six hours after their prison break, while 26 monkeys escaped in December 2014.

How many monkeys does Alpha Genesis have?

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

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

What is Alpha Genesis?

Alpha Genesis Inc. describes itself on its website as a “world-leading provider of the best products and services for non-human primates.”

The facility states that its “experienced and caring staff” are “dedicated to conducting humane research with non-human primates to advance knowledge in primate biology and address human health concerns.”

The President and CEO of Alpha Genesis, Dr. Greg Westergaard, told the Hampton County Guardian in a 2011 interview that the facility was “primarily a breeding facility” and that the animals were bred for “research purposes.”

“Our overall goal is monkey health and monkey reproduction,” Westergaard told the Guardian. “We breed animals primarily for research purposes. We do some behavioral research here and conduct studies that have relatively low impact, such as blood draws.”

“None of the animals here are infected with any diseases and the studies pose no threat to the monkeys or people here,” the CEO had said.

According to the Guardian, Alpha Genesis was founded in 1964 to provide animals for polio vaccine research.

Animals bred at Yemassee are sold only to USDA-licensed research facilities, Alpha Genesis told the Guardian, where they are used in accordance with current legal and ethical practices to advance vaccine development and cure a variety of diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and more.

“I fully support alternatives to using animals for research… but I don’t see a way out of it at this time,” Westergaard had said. “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 to consume as little as possible.”

Alpha Genesis states on its website that the company is AAALAC (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care) accredited and has an extensive ethics and compliance program to ensure employees comply with all legal, regulatory and ethical requirements comply with requirements.

However, at least five monkeys died at the facility between 2011 and 2012, according to The Post and Courier.

Monkey Island

In March 2023, Alpha Genesis also took over management of Morgan Island in South Carolina, also known as “Monkey Island,” which is home to about 3,500 rhesus macaques, The Post and Courier reported.

Located off the coast of Beaufort, Morgan Island covers 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.

This story has been updated to add new information.

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

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

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