A new best friend or a sprint in the opposite direction: What would you do if you found a lost monkey?
Photo Courtesy of Vishal Yadav
Colby Craig, Staff Writer
On Nov. 6, 2024, 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped captivity at the Alpha Genesis research facility after a worker improperly closed the door to their enclosure. The research lab is located near Yemassee, South Carolina, and has had similar incidents in 2014 and 2016.
It has been over a week and there are still four of these monkeys at large. The facility is urging residents not to approach, feed, touch or try to keep the monkeys as pets. Rather, residents should report the location of the monkey to the authorities so that they can return the lost animal.
The Alpha Genesis research facility is responsible for the breeding and distribution of lab monkeys for the purpose of testing new vaccines and treatments for certain diseases. These monkeys are partly responsible for the quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine in December of 2020.
In the midst of this chaos, many North Greenville residents have shared what they would do if they encountered one of the lost monkeys.
Seth Atkins, digital media major, wonders if these monkeys are nice.
“If they are nice I would pick one up and try to hug it because I’ve seen videos of that online and I think that’s really sweet. Then I would get a bowl of coffee, and I would give it to them and see their reaction if they tried it,” he said.
Logan Stewart, theatre education major, is a self-proclaimed animal lover and would want the monkey to be free.
“I would probably try to pet it/hug it because I am an animal person, but then I wouldn’t tell anybody because I want it to be free and have its monkey life,” he said.
Andrew Barrett, outdoor leadership major, would set the monkey free out of compassion.
“I’d take it and set it free to whatever part of the world it’s from so it doesn’t have to suffer in a lab,” he said.
Corban Wood, business marketing major, would pick up the monkey and have some wholesome fun together before returning it home.
“I would pick it up and hold it. Then we would go to an amusement park together. I would win it a stuffed banana plushie and then send it home,” she said.
Kara Patterson, secondary education major in social studies, would be a little put off by the monkey.
“I would kick it, and then I would run away very very fast,” she said.
Callie Meyerholtz, studio arts major, would release the monkey so it would not be stuck in a lab.
“I think if I found the monkey, I would probably try to pet it, but it would probably not really like that. I would try to release it if I could to somewhere that it wouldn’t be in a lab,” she said.
Riley Kiniry (right), pre-engineering major, and Ricardo Marques (left), general business major, would both teach the monkey to play soccer and put it up against Marques.
“We’re gonna teach the monkey soccer and shoot it on Rica,” Kiniry said.
“Yeah, see if he can score against me. I don’t think so,” said Marques.
Marcus Hermanstyne, graduate assistant for campus ministries and student engagement, hopes to be able to befriend the monkey.
He said, “I would hopefully be brave enough to pick it up, play with it and maybe train it.”
Savannah Cade, interdisciplinary studies major with components in outdoor leadership and English, would “hug the poor lost monkeys.”
Mabel, local dog, professional napper and food critic, seems to share the same sentiment as many NGU residents. She would hug and play with the monkey because she feels that her humans do not give her enough attention. She would teach the monkey some of her tricks so that her humans will give it treats too. Mabel feels that they would be best friends.
