YEMASSEE, S.C. (WCSC) – The CEO of the research facility where 43 monkeys escaped earlier this month says human error is believed to be the cause of the incident after an inspection of the facility.

Forty-three rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis near Yemassee on November 6.

Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard confirmed there was no structural failure in the enclosure where the monkeys were kept. He said there were two gates that had to be passed through to enter the main area where the monkeys lived.

“The procedure is to open the first door and then close and lock that door before opening the second door; In this case, the door also needs to be closed and locked. “Each door has two locks and two latches,” he said. “Prior to cleaning, the animals are separated into an area within the main enclosure and locked behind a third door, which also has two latches and a lock. In this case, all three doors were unsecured; “Otherwise the animals would remain under control.”

He said they have since determined that all six doors and locks are in perfect working order because the facility is brand new.

Westergaard said they assumed the failure to secure the three doors “was the result of human error rather than malice,” but added they had no way of knowing for sure.

The employee involved left the facility after the monkeys escaped, but said he was not aware of any argument or disagreement with the employee before the escape.

“My understanding is that immediately after the incident occurred, the employee’s supervisor approached him and stated that he could be terminated if it was determined that there was no structural failure that led to the escape,” he said. “I was told at that point the employee left and did not return.”

He said they do not plan to release the employee’s name publicly.

Westergaard also said he wasn’t sure if the employee had been officially terminated, but “expected it.”

8 monkeys are still free

In the week and a half since the escape, 35 of the 43 monkeys have been recaptured.

It was stated that everyone was in good health.

Authorities set traps in the area, and Yemassee Police used on-site thermal imaging cameras to locate the animals.

The facility received millions of dollars in taxpayer funding, according to government data.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $19 million to the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in 2024 alone. According to federal government spending data. The majority of this funding comes from taxpayer dollars.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, launched an investigation into the facility on Wednesday. His office has requested a full briefing from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on active contracts and inspections at the facility, documentation of communications with Alpha Genesis regarding the recent monkey escape, and immediate corrective actions to improve surveillance and security at the facility. Alpha Genesis.

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