Escape from SC monkey poses 'risk' to residents

A south carolina congressman has called for a “full investigation” into the primate research facility Alpha Genesis after 43 monkeys escaped just over a week ago.

The escape, which occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 6, is the “latest in a long list of violations by this USDA and NIH-funded laboratory,” Nancy Mace, U.S. Representative for South Carolina’s 1st District, said in a statement Tuesday.

Officials were able to recover 32 of the 43 escaped monkeys Tuesday evening, leaving 11 in the wild in Yemassee, a small town about 60 miles west of Charleston. reporting by Bluffton Today, part of the USA TODAY Network. The primates, all of them female rhesus monkeysmade a mad dash after an attendant at the research facility failed to lock the doors after a feeding.

The escaped monkey saga has received international media attention and is taking center stage internet memessparked outrage from animal rights groups, in addition to Mace’s call for action in recent weeks. Mace has contacted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) demanding an investigation and briefing into the escape.

“For years, Alpha Genesis has secured federal contracts and taxpayer dollars while consistently violating animal welfare laws and exposing the public to dangerous escapes,” Mace said in a letter. “NIH and USDA must take action and ensure that South Carolina residents do not bear the risk of this laboratory’s negligence.”

The Yemassee Police Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for additional information Thursday evening.

Recovery efforts “will continue,” the company executive said

According to the Yemassee Police Department Facebook afterAccording to Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, the recovery process “will continue until all animals have been safely recovered.” The monkeys have roosted in trees and in the woods around the 100-acre Alpha Genesis facility since their escape.

Company employees and local police officers have been baiting the primates with food in an attempt to lure them back to the facility. You can hear them cooing back and forth to each other.

About 5,000 monkeys bred for biomedical and scientific research are housed in two Alpha Genesis locations throughout the state. The escaped monkeys weigh no more than 7 pounds, and according to Alpha Genesis, none of the escaped monkeys pose a risk to the public because they are “too young” to carry diseases and have not been used for testing due to their size and age. .

Community members have been advised to keep doors and windows closed. Officials have also encouraged residents to contact 911 if they see any of the remaining monkeys.

Most, if not all, of the monkeys recaptured in recent days were in “good health,” according to police.

This isn’t the first time Alpha Gensis primates have escaped from the research facility. There have been at least two other cases, one in 2016 and one in December 2014. Both times they were eventually recovered, USA TODAY reported.

‘Disturbing history’ of animal care violations and public safety risks, rep says

Alpha GenesisAccording to Mace, the company has a “troubling history of animal welfare violations” and “risks to public safety,” despite receiving more than $110 million in taxpayer money since 2008, including $19 million in 2024 alone. to carry out the activities.

“The laboratory is home to more than 10,000 primates, including 3,300 on the NIH’s controversial Monkey Island, and has regularly faced federal charges for unsafe enclosures, poor veterinary care, and preventable animal deaths,” Mace wrote. “Yet oversight remains minimal, with recent inspections confirming multiple violations, including escaped primates and fatal neglect.”

In her letter, Mace points to at least a dozen specific cases of violations, she says, especially after the recent escape, which put both the animals and her constituents at risk. The list outlines several violations dating back to 2014, highlighting gaps in the quality of care.

Alpha Genesis primates, according to Mace, are “subjected to painful and deadly experiments with dangerous pathogens and invasive procedures.”

Mace has requested that the NIH and USDA provide a full record of active contracts and inspections, documentation of communications regarding the monkey’s recent escape, and immediate corrective action to improve oversight and safety.

A number of animal advocacy groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the White Coat Waste Project and Born Free USA, have issued statements in response to Mace’s call for an investigation into Alpha Genesis.

Contributions: Saman Shafiq, Ahjane Forbes And Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY