SC- 40-plus primates escape research facility in Beaufort County.

[Megnut]

43 monkeys remain on the run from South Carolina lab. CEO thinks they're having an adventure

Authorities say 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been spotted in the woods near a fence surrounding the site and that workers are using food to try to recapture them.

apnews.com

 

[airportwoman]

Yeah- saw that- hope they catch them soon- Florida has a feral money population which is so crazy and spreading through the state over the years!

WEC446/UW491: Nonnative Monkey Populations of Florida: History, Status, and Potential Impacts

At least nine populations of non-human primates have established in Florida since the 1930s. These include three species: rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus), and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sp.). Invasion success has varied among the three species. As of 2021, a...

edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Unless their territories cross, that's unlikely to happen here, because all the escapees are juvenile females.

Yesterday, I saw a link on Google that said "43 Monkeys Escape On X." Not sure what to think about that.

 

[sunspun]

How in the world did they all get free??

And how are they planning to catch them?

What are they eating? Is there anything in the woods there for them to eat? When they get hungry, they'll become a lot more visible to everyone.

 

[mickey2942]

If I was a monkey, I would feel scared outside, these primates have always lived in a lab. They have never been exposed to sounds outside, range of temperature. I hope that they feel safe enough to go to the area where food is available for them, and they can be safely captured to go back to their homes.

I don't particularly like any sort of lab work with primates. Too close to "Planet of the Apes" for me.

 

[bestill]

If I was a monkey, I would feel scared outside, these primates have always lived in a lab. They have never been exposed to sounds outside, range of temperature. I hope that they feel safe enough to go to the area where food is available for them, and they can be safely captured to go back to their homes.

I don't particularly like any sort of lab work with primates. Too close to "Planet of the Apes" for me.

From what we saw they are in cages outside, so probably acclimated but not sure if they have the skill of finding food. I'm thinking that they are being left food and water in traps to entice them, just clever enough to not trigger the capture. Will be interesting to see how they are finally caught but it is reassuring that they are staying together and close to the lab.

 

[Knox]

Monkeys can actually be quite destructive and vicious. Their bites are extremely dangerous. Let alone, we don't know what they have been used for, or infected with.

This is serious. It isn't some movie, where the monkeys escape and fly to the Everglades. I am trying to figure out how they escaped. This is the 2nd time for this lab. They have a security issue.

43 monkeys remain on the run from South Carolina lab. CEO thinks they're having an adventure

Authorities say 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been spotted in the woods near a fence surrounding the site and that workers are using food to try to recapture them.

apnews.com

Lengthy article with many details. I feel sad for the monkeys, I hate to think what they are subjected too.

 

[airportwoman]

If I was a monkey, I would feel scared outside, these primates have always lived in a lab. They have never been exposed to sounds outside, range of temperature. I hope that they feel safe enough to go to the area where food is available for them, and they can be safely captured to go back to their homes.

I don't particularly like any sort of lab work with primates. Too close to "Planet of the Apes" for me.

I just read that many of the monkeys have been seen near the perimeter fence of the compound.

Medical research on primates is necessary when testing drugs. Example: Thalidomide probably wouldn't have been released to the market in the late 1950s if it had been tested on pregnant primates, because while it doesn't cause birth defects in rabbits, mice, etc. it sure does in monkeys.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

According to the article, there is no need to worry, all the monkeys are females.
Cue Jurassic Park clip…

 

[LadyL]

Poor monkeys. I'm glad they're at least getting a taste of freedom.

 

[LadyL]

It IS serious, please don't get me wrong. It just also happens to sound a lot like a Simpsons episode.

This reminds me of the post a few months back about the koala bears eating all the eucalyptus saplings, causing havoc due to lack of food. That is what makes it funny to a degree, it's often human error and no fault of the animals who are supposed to be cared for and protected. JMO.

The articles clearly state the nature of the facility and research being done (the monkeys were in fact, being trained to adapt to human interaction, ironically). The facility is registered with the Center for Disease Control as I highlighted in my post above. FYI.

yes but why were they being trained to adapt to humans? is it so that they would be complacent with all the testing and painful jabs?

 

[LadyL]

Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, told CBS News on Friday that while they have not captured any of the animals, the monkeys are staying close to the facility and are "being goofy monkeys jumping back and forth playing with each other."

"It's kind of like a playground situation here," he said.

Westergaard said the company has put out baited traps but the monkeys are not going inside them yet.

"They're jumping down and taking the food and then jumping back up on the fence and the tree line," he added. "They're watching us the same way we're watching them."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1855028384264278146

43 monkeys escape South Carolina research facility; police warn residents to secure doors and windows

Traps have been set up and thermal imaging cameras are being used in an effort to locate the fugitive monkeys, police said.

www.cbsnews.com

well that's as close to their real home as they'll ever get
I imagine they're happy right now

 

[LadyL]

How in the world did they all get free??

And how are they planning to catch them?

What are they eating? Is there anything in the woods there for them to eat? When they get hungry, they'll become a lot more visible to everyone.

they're trying to bait them and the monkeys are taking the food

 

[bestill]

This is an update from 8:00pm last night. Has a bit more detail.

Major progress made after 43 monkeys escaped a research facility in South Carolina

The latest update on the monkeys that escaped a research facility in South Carolina.

www.wyff4.com

 

[Deleted member 296739]

Any news yet on if they have gotten any of them?

 

[sds71]

@WSAVAndrewD
MISSING MONKEY UPDATE:

@YemasseePD say one of the escaped primates has been caught. The other 42 remain at large. @wsa

 

[Deleted member 296739]

@WSAVAndrewD
MISSING MONKEY UPDATE:

@YemasseePD say one of the escaped primates has been caught. The other 42 remain at large. @wsa

Thanks!

 

[whiterhino]

yes but why were they being trained to adapt to humans? is it so that they would be complacent with all the testing and painful jabs?

I have no idea tbh I didn't read anymore bc I felt bad (gonna tell myself they were being trained as bank robbers)

Here is a link to their website: Alpha Genesis

Alpha Genesis Inc. provides the highest quality nonhuman primate products and bio-research services world-wide. With a client base that extends across North America, Europe, and Asia, we are dedicated to providing only the best and most cost-effective primate research and development support to the scientific community.

 

[cujenn81]

I’m not sure I trust their “these females are too young to carry disease” argument.

B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1; BV) is an α-herpesvirus that naturally infects conventional populations of macaques. Serious disease due to BV is rare in macaques, but when transmitted to humans, BV has a propensity to invade the central nervous system and has a fatality rate greater than 70% if not treated promptly. In macaques and especially in humans, diagnosis of BV infection is not straightforward. Furthermore, development and maintenance of true BV specific pathogen-free macaque colonies has proven difficult.

Monkey B Virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1) - PMC

Macaques are a particularly valuable nonhuman primate model for a wide variety of biomedical research endeavors. B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1; BV) is an α-herpesvirus that naturally infects conventional populations of macaques. Serious ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Chelly]

I am aware all the escaped monkeys are young females. Just wondering if there are any male monkeys living nearby to mate with?

 

[cujenn81]

I am aware all the escaped monkeys are young females. Just wondering if there are any male monkeys living nearby to mate with?

This article says the company breeds them and they have 6700 primates on site.

43 monkeys remain on the run from South Carolina lab. CEO thinks they're having an adventure

Authorities say 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped a compound in South Carolina have been spotted in the woods near a fence surrounding the site and that workers are using food to try to recapture them.

apnews.com

AFAIK, there are no nearby male monkeys that live outside the facility.