43 monkeys escape SC research facility (1 Viewer)

Eight monkeys that escaped from a research facility in South Carolina are still at large as of Friday morning, while 35 have been recaptured, officials say.

It’s been more than a week since 43 monkeys escaped from the Alpha Genesis research facility near Yemassee, South Carolina, after a caretaker failed to secure the door after feeding the monkeys and cleaning their enclosure.

Authorities say that all of the monkeys are young females, weighing approximately six to seven pounds.


At the beginning of this week, 13 monkeys were still unaccounted for. By Tuesday evening, local authorities reported that two more monkeys had been safely captured and were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner.

Authorities confirmed that three additional monkeys had been safely recovered on Wednesday, leaving only eight of the primates still at large. All of those recaptured are in good health and efforts to safely capture the remaining primates will continue as long as it takes.

Some of the missing monkeys were seen in the woods adjacent to the research facility, local officials said, adding that they had been “heard cooing back and forth to each other”.

Since the escape on 6 November, the public in Yemassee and the surrounding areas has been advised to avoid the area, as the animals have been described as “skittish”. Residents were also encouraged to keep their doors and windows closed and to report any sightings.

Officials have also requested that the public avoid using drones near the facility. Earlier in the week, they reported that a drone incident “spooked” the monkeys, increasing their stress levels and complicating efforts to recapture them.

The research facility also noted that the animals had not been used for testing as they are too young, and do not carry diseases, so they don’t pose any infectious threat to humans.


A local Yemassee resident shared photos of some monkeys in trees on Facebook this week.

“Look closely! You will see the monkeys,” the user wrote. “They were playful, curious and jumping from tree to tree. Sticking close to the rear of the facility.”……..

 
Well, at least the at-large monkeys are all female and won't reproduce unless . . . what kind of research were they involved in?

 
The US Department of Agriculture is investigating allegations from an animal rights organisation concerning Alpha Genesis Incorporated (AGI), the animal experimentation facility and breeder, from which 43 monkeys escaped last month.

AGI is accused of “abuse and neglect”, and of violations of the Animal Welfare Act, as leaked documents show that between 2021 and 2023, multiple primates held at AGI centres endured preventable traumatic injuries and deaths.

The emails, veterinary reports and photos were passed to Peta by a veterinary whistleblower who alleges neglect, incompetence and a culture of disregard for animal welfare at AGI’s Yemassee and Hampton primate centres in South Carolina.


Records reveal at least 82 monkeys were injured or died from trauma due to unsafe equipment, inadequate care and untreated health conditions.

The revelations include that in December 2022, a young long-tailed macaque was found dead in his enclosure with his arm stuck in a chain-link fence in front of a heater. The AGI necropsy report cites entrapment and dehydration as the cause of death and notes that staff had not checked the pen since the afternoon prior.

In May 2022, an infant strangled herself to death with a piece of gauze used to secure a water bottle. An email from a clinical veterinarian to staff notes that the bottles being used did not fit their holders properly so had been tied to the crates rather than secured with clips.

In May 2021, a monkey died having sustained a fractured leg and dislocated knee after she had become caught in a slide bolt lock known to cause problems for the animals. Monkeys also reportedly suffered from chronic malnutrition andf died of hyperthermia and heatstroke, as well as from infectious diseases such as campylobacter.

The complaint to the USDA from Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) includes 270 pages of evidence, cites “the pain, psychological anguish, and misery suffered by monkeys at AGI”, and also alleges a lack of qualified personnel caring for the primates.……

 

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