USDA Investigates Primate Deaths at South Carolina Research Facility

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investigating reports of primate deaths at Alpha Genesis, a biomedical research center in Yemassee, South Carolina. This investigation follows a recent incident at the same facility where 43 rhesus macaques escaped earlier in the month.

On Tuesday, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) acknowledged the situation and issued a statement emphasizing their commitment to enforcing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). “APHIS takes enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act seriously. We are aware of this situation and are following standard response protocols,” the department stated. They also confirmed that any related inspection findings will be made public through their online search tool, citing Alpha Genesis’ license number for transparency.

In a follow-up email to KTVL10, a USDA spokesperson added that the department had received a detailed complaint and was currently reviewing it to assess potential violations of the AWA. However, the specifics of the allegations have not been confirmed by the agency.

Animal rights organization PETA has alleged that a whistleblower reported the deaths of 18 long-tailed monkeys at Alpha Genesis due to a heater malfunction. The USDA has yet to verify these claims.

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