6 monkeys are still on the loose from a South Carolina compound after dozens escaped

YEMASSEE, S.C. (AP) — Six monkeys were still on the loose early Monday after dozens escaped earlier this month from a South Carolina compound that breeds the primates for medical research, according to authorities.

Two more Rhesus macaques were trapped Sunday outside the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee, bringing the total of recovered monkeys to 37 of the 43 that escaped, Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said in a statement relayed by Yemassee Police in a social media post.

Both monkeys recaptured Sunday were examined and were in “excellent condition,” said Westergaard, who was present when they were recovered.

“I can attest with absolute certainty that their spirits were high and they showed all the outward signs of being happy well-adjusted monkeys,” he said. “We are very pleased that the animals recovered thus far are in such good condition, and that they show no ill effects from their outdoor adventure.”

All the monkeys taken back to the compound have been fed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and monkey biscuits, which are a high protein Purina Monkey Chow that is specially formulated for the rhesus macaques, Westergaard said.

Two other monkeys were spotted near the traps Sunday afternoon and Alpha Genesis planned to begin trapping efforts before dawn Monday and continue through the day.

Forty-three monkeys made a break for it Nov. 6 after an employee at what locals call “the monkey farm” did not fully lock their enclosure, police said.

There are three gates keeping the monkeys inside their containment area and a worker is supposed to lock and latch one gate before opening another, but all three gates and latches were left unsecure allowing the primates to escape, Westergaard told WCSC-TV last week.

Westergaard said it appears the worker made a mistake and did not intentionally leave the gates where the monkeys could escape.

“My understanding is that immediately after the incident occurred, the employee’s supervisor approached her and stated that she could be terminated if it was determined that there was no structural failure which led to the escape,” Westergaard told the TV station. “I am told at that point the employee walked off the job and has not returned.”

Alpha Genesis has said efforts to recover all the monkeys will continue for as long as it takes at its compound about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from downtown Yemassee and about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Savannah, Georgia.

The monkeys are about the size of a cat. They are all females weighing about 7 pounds (3 kilograms).

On Monday, a group called Stop Animal Exploitation Now sent another letter to federal officials asking for fines and further inspection of Alpha Genesis for animal mistreatment.

The letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture said a monkey was found dead with its head stuck in a fence and a second strangled in gauze used to secure water bottles. The letter also details several earlier escapes, including one where a monkey had its arm ripped off and another had its arm broken by a tranquilizer dart.

The incidents involved about 30 monkeys and happened in 2022 or earlier. The letter includes emails and other documents from Alpha Genesis given to the group by someone inside the company, wrote Michael Budkie, the group’s executive director.

“This is not animal care, this is neglect and abuse. Though these violations may be back a couple of years … there is no reason to assume that such a broad set of violations will be totally remedied,” Budkie wrote.

Alpha Genesis did not return a phone call or email asking about the letter.

The USDA has inspected the compound 10 times since 2020. The facility’s most recent federal inspection in May showed there were about 6,700 primates on site and no issues and veterinarians found minor problems in only one of the facility’s past six inspections.

Humans have been using the monkeys for scientific research since the late 1800s. Scientists believe Rhesus macaques and humans split from a common ancestor about 25 million years ago and share about 93% of the same DNA.

The monkeys pose no risk to public health, Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and police have all said. The facility breeds the monkeys to sell to medical facilities and other researchers.

If people encounter the monkeys, they are advised to stay away from them — and to not fly drones in the area. The company said they are skittish and might run away from where they are gathered.