YEMASSEE, S.C. (WCSC) – Yemassee Police confirm that nearly four dozen primates that escaped from a Beaufort County research center have been located but have not yet been captured.

Police received a report around 1 p.m. on Wednesday. It has been revealed that a group of Rhesus Macaque monkeys escaped from their enclosure at the Alpha Genesis Research Centre. Located off Castle Hall Road, the property is minutes from the small town of Yemassee.

Police said Alpha Genesis crews tried to trap them with food.

“It’s really just waiting and frustrating because we want to get them back sooner or later. You can’t chase them because they disperse. In this form they need to stay in the same area and we need to see some of them return,” says Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis.

The herd consists entirely of young females, each weighing about 6 or 7 pounds. Alpha Genesis reports that none of these animals were used in testing and were too young to carry the disease.

“This was 100% due to human error. Westergaard said the keeper who normally cares for these monkeys entered the enclosure and failed to lock both doors.

Longtime business owners and neighbors in Yemassee say an escaped monkey isn’t surprising, and many are used to having the facility nearby.

“That was the surprise, the figure. “We’ve seen one or two before, even on the side of the road, but we’ve never heard of this many released,” says Lowcountry Living Room Owner Charlotte Murray.

“He must have gone crazy, someone must have left the door open or something, I don’t know. Everybody in Yemassee is talking about it all day today,” says Jerry’s Tow Truck and Garage Owner Jay Cook. “We know this road as Monkey Farm Road.”

The Alpha Genesis website claims that their research uses primate models that are “specific pathogen-free.”

The facility has faced violations from the United States Department of Agriculture, including a warning issued in 2022 and a fine issued in 2017. The 2022 notice alleges the center violated guidelines regarding the housing, care and veterinary care of primates.

The 2017 report comes from a document published by animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now, which reported a $12,600 fine for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Two of these violations involved failure to ensure the safety of primates.

We previously reported that Alpha Genesis had not seen a critical rating breach. However, after further review, the center received a 2023 rating from the USDA. The violation involved improper maintenance of enclosures that could have adverse health effects on primates.

A primate testing expert from the Society for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued a statement claiming the facility’s recent actions “put the public at risk and consistently fail to improve human health.”

“They produce, import, sell and conduct experiments on monkeys. Macaques in general. “There are about 6,000 macaques in Alpha Genesis’ colonies,” says Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel. “They’re scared, they’re hungry, they’re cold, they’re wet. I mean, it was raining last night. They’re trying to get as far as they can.”

There has been no other “critical” rating breach at Alpha Genesis since 2022.

South Carolina Congressional District 1 Representative Nancy Mace released the following statement: send to x:

We diligently collect all relevant information to inform our constituents about the recent escape of primates from Alpha Genesis Inc. in Beaufort County. Our office is in direct communication with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and is working closely with their teams to monitor and evaluate the situation. We reserve any official statement until we have a full understanding of all the facts. Stay tuned…

Police and MPs are asking the public to avoid the area of ​​the Castle Hall Road facility on the grounds that the monkeys are skittish and any additional noise or movement could prevent them from being recaptured.

Authorities say anyone who locates one of the monkeys should not approach the animal and call 911 immediately.

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