1 monkey captured, 42 monkeys still on the loose after escaping research facility in SC

One monkey has been captured after 43 monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis, a primate research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, this week.

Yemassee is a small town about 26 miles from Beaufort.

In an update on Saturday, the Yemassee Police Department shared on Facebook that one monkey had been successfully captured.

"As of noon today, we are pleased to report that one of the escaped primates has been successfully recovered unharmed," the police department wrote in the statement. "A significant number of the remaining primates are still located just a few yards from the property, jumping back and forth over the facility's fence."

Alpha Genesis management and staff are on-site and will continue to monitor the monkeys throughout the weekend, police said.

As the organization continues to make effort to contain the animals, they want to remind the public that the animals can be easily startled by people as well as other objects.

*We must emphasize the importance of avoiding the use of drones in the vicinity," Greg Westergaard, Alpha Genesis Incorporated CEO, said in a statement. "The presence of drones not only frightens the animals but also elevates their stress levels."

"A drone that flew over the area yesterday caused a disturbance spooking the animals, further complicating efforts to facilitate their safe return," Westergaard adds.

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Monkeys escaped because doors were not secured

The primates escaped after a caretaker failed to secure the doors, Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said, according to the police department. It was initially reported that 40 monkeys escaped but the number has since been confirmed to be 43.

Police said the animals have never been used for testing given their young ages and size and a spokesperson of Alpha Genesis told police that "these animals are too young to carry disease."

The monkeys are "believed to be in the wooded region surrounding the facility" and officers are assisting the Alpha Genesis staff, who were "attempting to entice the animals back using food," in corralling the animals.

Residents advised to exercise caution, avoid area

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

Authorities have also advised residents to "refrain from approaching" or interacting with the monkeys and immediately call 911 if they see any of the escaped animals.

"These animals are highly sensitive and easily startled," the Yemassee Police Department said. "The public is advised to avoid the area as these animals are described as skittish and any additional noise or movement could hinder their safe capture."

This is not the first time that the monkeys escaped the facility. In 2016, 19 monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis and were captured almost six hours later, according to The Post and Courier, while 26 monkeys escaped in December 2014.

Alpha Genesis − which conducts research projects for government, university, and private industry clients, according to their website − did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for a comment on the incident.

What kind of monkeys escaped in South Carolina?

The monkeys that escaped are rhesus macaques primates, described as "very young females weighing approximately 6 - 7 lbs".

Rhesus macaques, originally from Asia, have come to inhabit the swampy banks of the Silver River in Florida. Their population has been projected to grow to around 400 monkeys as of 2022, up from 176 in 2015, according to a 2019 study by University of Florida researchers.

They first came to Ocala as jungle cruise boat attractions around 90 years ago, as the Ocala StarBanner, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. The macaques were let loose on Monkey Island, and soon swam away, forming troops with other monkeys along the river.

A concern, though: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the Florida monkeys are a public health threat because around a quarter of the population carries herpes B virus. Interactions between humans and the macaques is a concern, especially with kayakers and others feeding the monkeys, which is illegal.

How many monkeys does Alpha Genesis have?

Alpha Genesis has approximately 5,000 monkeys across two sites from Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Species include marmosets, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, African Greens, 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, per the Hampton County Guardian.

What is Alpha Genesis?

Alpha Genesis Inc. describes itself as the "world’s premier provider of the finest nonhuman primate products and services" on its website.

The facility says its "experienced and caring staff" is "dedicated to conducting humane research with nonhuman primates to advance knowledge in primate biology and to address human health concerns."

Alpha Genesis President and CEO Dr. Greg Westergaard told The Hampton County Guardian during a 2011 interview that the facility is "primarily a breeding facility," and that they raise the animals for "research purposes."

"Our overall goal is monkey health and monkey reproduction," Westergaard told the Hampton County Guardian. "We mostly raise animals for research purposes. We do some behavioral research here, and we do studies that are fairly low impact, like drawing blood."

"None of the animals here are infected with any diseases, and the studies don't represent any danger to the monkeys or the people here," the CEO had said.

Alpha Genesis was established in 1964 to provide animals for polio vaccine research, per the Hampton County Guardian.

Animals raised in Yemassee are sold only to USDA-licensed research facilities, Alpha Genesis told the Hampton County Guardian, where they are used in compliance with current legal and ethical practices to further vaccine development and cures for a wide range 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 any way around it at this time," Westergaard had said. "But I also support medical advancements that can help large numbers of people. Our goal is to keep the animals as healthy as possible and use as few as possible."

Monkey Island

In March of 2023, Alpha Genesis also took over the management of South Carolina's Morgan Island, also known as "Monkey Island," home to about 3,500 rhesus monkeys, The Post and Courier reported.

Located off the coast of Beaufort, Morgan Island covers an area of 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.

Contributing: Michael M. DeWitt, Jr., Bluffton Today; Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, food recalls, health, lottery, and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.