Help Us End Animal Testing In South Carolina

My life's work has been dedicated to saving animals. It pains me deeply to think that 65 minutes from my home, animals are being subjected to cruel and absolutely barbaric treatment in the name of 'research.' This facility (Alpha Genesis Incorporated) operates in full legality, conducting animal testing on primates in a manner that can only be described as a torture. We are not just talking about a few animals; hundreds of innocent lives are subjected to these cruel experiments daily in South Carolina alone. More than 100 acres of quarantine, breeding, holding and research space AGI is one of the largest nonhuman primate facilities, designed specifically for monkeys, in the United States.

"Projects utilizing cynomolgus or rhesus monkeys can be initiated on short lead times, as a pool of quarantined animals is maintained on the premises. AGI guarantees supply flexibility and access to a significant number of animals ranging in age from infancy through adulthood. All AGI sourced monkeys come complete with full health records and breeding histories, thus ensuring that we can produce the required naïve primates for your development program."

"Alpha Genesis, Inc. provides numerous nonhuman primate biological products and materials, including serum, plasma, whole blood, PBMC, and tissue samples from a wide variety of research species."

"As an established, recognized research facility, AGI has assisted our partners in conducting preclinical primate research studies in a variety of areas. We are experienced in vaccine development, therapeutic drug therapies, viral pathogenesis, small molecule administration, pharmacokinetics, and experimental surgical procedures."

"Because we have developed our own domestic breeding center, we can offer models for various pre-natal to geriatric research strategies."

"Biological products and materials meeting specific origin, age, and sex requirements can be prepared as pooled or individual tubes aliquoted stored, and shipped at a specified temperature according to your needs. Biological products and materials are currently available from the following species: Cynomolgus macaque - Macaca fascicularis – Mauritius or Chinese origin. Rhesus macaque - Macaca mulatta – Indian or Chinese origin. Others species available upon request"

Not only is this practice inhumane, but it is also unnecessary in the modern era. According to Cruelty Free International, over 80% of countries worldwide have implemented alternatives to live animal testing, utilizing advanced technological methods that are more accurate, faster, and ethical. 

Moreover, a survey conducted by Pew Research Center reveals 52% of Americans oppose the use of animal testing due to ethical considerations. We, the people of South Carolina, stand together as part of that majority. We demand our state legislators to enact laws that prohibit animal testing in our great state. Every creature deserves to live without fear of torment, and it's time our laws reflected that principle. 

Support our fight against this abhorrent practice by signing this petition. It is imperative not only to conclude the testing conducted at this facility, which recently experienced the escape of 40 primates, but also to put an end to the inhumane practice of animal testing across the entirety of South Carolina.

Let's make South Carolina a state where all creatures can live free from the fear of cruel and inhumane treatment. Together, we can put an end to animal testing. Your signature could be the one that tips the scales towards justice for these helpless animals.

This facility operates as a research and breeding center for primates and is situated on an approximately 100-acre property in Yemassee, South Carolina.  

The organization is engaged in various activities, including breeding, conducting research, and supplying animals to other institutions for research purposes, all while providing designated quarantine areas.  

I urge individuals to thoroughly investigate the facts before disseminating inaccurate information or minimizing the serious ethical concerns associated with the operations conducted at this facility and facilities like it. Their research encompasses a wide range of subjects, including pregnant primates and elderly individuals.  

While they assert that the 40 to 43 escaped females are too young to be utilized as test subjects, it is important to note that their research protocols, as outlined on their website, involve subjects from all age groups, including those in gestation. This raises legitimate questions about the credibility of their claims. 

This facility has faced a multitude of challenges regarding animal welfare and the treatment of its primates, and it is important to note that this incident is not the first significant escape; there have been several similar occurrences in the past. In 2016, 19 monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis, while 26 monkeys escaped in December 2014. Such events pose a serious risk not only to the local community but also highlight a deeply troubling practice that has been scientifically deemed unnecessary. There are more humane and modern alternatives available that can replace live animal testing.  

In light of this, I have initiated a petition on change.org with the aim of putting an end to this inhumane practice within our state. While there are broader initiatives addressing this issue across the entire United States, I believe that we must take incremental steps; we must first learn to crawl before we can walk.

Don’t start making any travel plans, though. Unauthorized visitors are strictly prohibited from setting foot on the island’s swampy shores, because Morgan Island is home to one of the government’s darkest, most horrifying secrets. The island is not a sanctuary. It is not a wildlife refuge. It’s a flesh factory, where monkeys are born to suffer and bred to die.

The 4,489-acre island is where a breeding colony of rhesus macaques (aka monkeys) was relocated from the Caribbean Primate Research Center in Puerto Rico.

Monkeys carrying the herpes B virus had apparently escaped from the facility and caused panic among locals, resulting in relocation of the monkeys during 1979-80. Over time, the colony of 1,400 grew to the present day population of an estimated 3,500.

Privately held at first, the island was sold to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) in 2002. The monkeys themselves are owned by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH. 

The monkeys and 400 acres of upland where they reside were originally leased to Labs of Virginia, which later became Alpha Genesis (AGI). In 2007, Charles River Laboratories (“CRL”), a $1.36 billion operation serving the pharma and biotech industries, acquired the leases. In 2023, Alpha Genesis (AGI) entered into a federal contract to oversee the daily care of the monkey colony on Morgan Island.

DNR biologist Phil Maier says the 4000-plus acre tract includes creek, marsh, transitional areas and various small hammock islands. The upland portion is primarily maritime forest. 

The macaques are free-ranging, forage for acorns, insects, shellfish and plants, and “are the last standing group of rhesus monkeys used for medical research in the U.S.,” according to Klopchin. NIAID maintains that no research is conducted on the island, however. 

Klopchin visited Monkey Island many times to study whether the monkeys were having an adverse environmental impact. She concluded they had little to none, their presence actually contributing to a sounder vegetation structure on the island. 

Once used in research, the monkeys now roam the island uninhabited by humans. However, controversy lingers over reports that some monkeys are still being taken away for research.

Honestly, I've seen animal shelters with far more secure fencing! Reports suggest that a employee left a gate ajar, likely one of the ones leading into one of the many smaller enclosures.

A determined Husky could escape from their yard, for these primates, it was a walk in the park. This is precisely why every enclosure and building should be equipped with a mandatory "airlock system" featuring two doors.

Even better, this inhumane facility ought to be shut down entirely. Just saying, their so-called "safety measures" are utterly inadequate.

AGI was not even aware of the 43 primates escaping on 11/6/24. Here are direct quotes from a news article about the land surveyor who alerted the facility of the 43 escaped primates.

"Land surveyor Daniel Vance was working near the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee on Wednesday when he saw strange movement in a wooded area."

"The monkeys ran through the woods east of the facility, he said. They made a comeback and then went further west. Vance said they immediately called Alpha Genesis to report what they saw. Vance said they seemed unaware that the monkeys had escaped."