The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reportedly investigating 18 primate deaths at the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center — the same South Carolina facility that saw than 40 monkeys escape into the wild through an unsecured door earlier this month.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sounded the alarm in the latest complaint against Alpha Genesis earlier this week, saying they received an anonymous tips whistleblowers that 18 or more monkeys died after a problem with heating equipment in one of the facility’s buildings.
“Alpha Genesis has blood on its hands again,” PETA wrote in a statement, saying that they believe a diesel heater may have malfunctioned in the facility and lead to the deaths of multiple long-tailed macaques.
“There were no alarms, no alerts, as 18 long-tailed macaques likely endured agonizing deaths — either slowly roasted alive or suffocated by deadly carbon dioxide fumes,” the statement continued, calling the alleged incident, “no accident — it’s a deadly pattern.”
Global News has reached out to Alpha Genesis for comment on the complaint but has not yet received a response.
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed to ABC’s News 4 that they “are aware of this situation and are following standard response protocols,” but did not confirm the veracity of the report.
In a follow-up email, the department told News 4: “At this time, here’s what I can provide. I can confirm that we recently received a complaint with some detailed allegations and that we are reviewing them to determine whether there are Animal Welfare Act (AWA) noncompliances we need to follow up on.”
Alpha Genesis is already under scrutiny after 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped from their Yemassee, S.C., centre earlier this month. While the majority of the monkeys were eventually recaptured, four remain on the loose.
Rep. Nancy Mase, whose district covers the facility, launched an inquiry after the escape, reports Queen City News.
“For years, Alpha Genesis has racked up federal contracts and taxpayer dollars while consistently violating animal welfare laws and exposing the public to dangerous escapes,” said Mace. “NIH and USDA need to step up and ensure South Carolinians don’t bear the risk of this lab’s negligence.”
PETA, in their statement, implored the USDA to cut funding from Alpha Genesis.
According to Fox Carolina, since January 2023, all of Alpha Genesis’ USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reports have been free of non-compliance incidents. However, inspection reports in 2022 found a young monkey strangled with gauze, as well as multiple monkey deaths reportedly caused by injuries from other primates after they were returned to the wrong enclosure or having contact through a broken cage.
Alpha Genesis, according to its website, breeds monkeys and primates and provides “nonhuman primate products and bio-research services,” including plasma, serum, tissue samples and whole blood.
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