It is Day Six of the Great Monkey Escape at the Alpha Genesis biolab in South Carolina. Initially, 43 Rhesus monkeys escaped their enclosure at the facility when an employee left a gate unlatched while power washing the enclosure. Only one monkey has been captured “safely” as of Saturday. The other 42 creatures were hanging around outside the perimeter of the biolab campus, cooing through the fencing at their mates who stayed behind when the group escaped. On Sunday, another 24 of the group were recovered, leaving 18 still on the loose.

Unfortunately, we have realized their future does not look good.

Science can be a cold taskmaster. Once a subject is contaminated by exposure to unmanaged surroundings, that subject cannot be used in any kind of experiment or any other science use, such as as a control or a treatment subject in medical experiments or as a source of biological materials like serum.

It is our fear that the young female monkeys that escaped into the swampy wilds of South Carolina are going to be kept for a little while once recaptured until the furor dies down, and then they will be quietly culled (a nice science word for killed….or murdered).

Further, even failing that worst of all outcomes, these 43 creatures will now endure a second round of capture and further shattering of any social connections and relationships they have managed to form.

We are appealing to both the local and the national press to put pressure on the company to establish or partner with a long-term natural sanctuary for these animals, including provisions for living normal family lives. They could give some of the male animals at the biolab a reprieve and relocate them to the sanctuary, which would enable normal family lives for these young females.

The Rhesus Macaque monkeys have highly expressive faces and complex social interactions. Their vocalizations include coos and grunts as well as warbles, harmonic arches, and chirps when interacting socially. They form groups of 10-80 individuals, and have a wide adaptability to different environments.

Rhesus macaques are exceptionally adapted to coexisting with humans and thrive near human settlement, in both urban and agricultural areas. It is impossible to characterize their “natural” diet without considering the impact of humans. Because they are found in higher densities in areas of human disturbance compared to forests, in some areas rhesus macaques derive, both directly and indirectly, a substantial part of their diet from human activities (Richard et al. 1989). In fact, up to 93% of their diet can be from human sources, either from direct handouts or from agricultural sources.

The company has been fined in the past:

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture fined Alpha Genesis $12,600 in part after officials said 26 primates escaped from the Yemassee facility in 2014 and an additional 19 got out in 2016.

The company’s fine was also issued because of individual monkey escapes as well as the killing of one monkey by others when it was placed in the wrong social group, according to a report from the USDA.

But fines for this kind of negligence are not enough. We call upon high-minded lawyers to seek protection for the creatures.

The CEO of Alpha Genesis stated on November 9^th that the employee who failed to latch the door to the monkey enclosure is on “disciplinary action as of this morning.”

The CEO of Alpha Genesis

However, it is the company itself that should have “disciplinary action” since there were clearly inadequate security measures installed to prevent this kind of human error or intentional releases by animal rights activists, especially in light of poor living conditions at the biolab. There have been multiple escapes by monkeys from this campus over the years, and the company has been fined in the past.

It is past time that these companies that makes billions in profits over the years from the use and sacrifice of innocent animals take some responsibility for their wellbeing and care.

With a 21st-century can-do attitude and a social media specialist, the proposed sanctuary and all its inhabitants could become famous, supporting themselves through the loving attention of millions of fans and the sale of merchandise. If one little squirrel could capture attention, imagine what a troop of primates could do!

Update: A nonprofit wildlife sanctuary in Texas has stepped up as of Monday morning and offered to rehome the 43 Rhesus monkeys that escaped in South Carolina. NBC reports:

After learning about the incident, Born Free USA called upon the company to work with its team to rehome the monkeys to their south Texas sanctuary.

“We are deeply concerned for the welfare of the 43 monkeys who have reportedly escaped from the Alpha Genesis facility in South Carolina. The monkeys are vulnerable, with no experience of living outside of their captive environment. As wild animals, they also pose a risk to humans, with a particular threat of zoonotic disease spread,” said Angela Grimes, CEO of Born Free USA, in a statement posted on the organization’s website.

Grimes said the non-profit extended an invite to Alpha Genesis to have the monkeys brought to their sanctuary but had not heard back from the company.

“We await their response and encourage them to make the right decision to allow these monkeys a second chance at life, away from harm,” Grimes added.

With some cooperation and ingenuity, a happy ending can be created for these creatures, and Alpha Genesis can start to rehabilitate its reputation by taking responsibility for the monkeys’ genuine welfare.

Pnut the squirrel. RIP with his friend Fred the Racoon.

Jointly authored by Dr. Peter and Ginger Breggin