YEMASSEE, S.C. (WCSC) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized a warning against a Yemassee-based research facility where 22 monkeys died back in November. <\/p>\n
The deaths happened at Alpha Genesis, the same facility from which 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped in November of 2024. <\/p>\n
The deaths were blamed on carbon monoxide exposure from a heating unit. The USDA\u2019s warning sites a regulation on outdoor housing facilities for primates, which states \u201coutdoor housing facilities for nonhuman primates must provide adequate shelter from the elements at all times. It must provide protection from the sun, rain, snow, wind, and cold, and from any weather conditions that may occur. The shelter must safely provide heat to the nonhuman primates to prevent the ambient temperature from falling below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, except as directed by the attending veterinarian and in accordance with generally accepted professional and husbandry practices.\u201d<\/p>\n
The warning, issued on July 2, states Alpha Genesis \u201cfailed to safely provide heat to nonhuman primates.\u201d <\/p>\n