The Runaway Monkeys Upending the Animal-Rights Movement

"Taking another bite of his foot-long sub, he figured that it must be the wind picking up. Then he saw the monkeys. Dozens of them were streaming over a tall metal fence at a compound owned by Alpha Genesis, one of the country's biggest breeders of primates used in scientific experiments. Swinging from the overhanging branches and darting through the woods, the animals were heading toward a nearby housing project, their pink faces lit with glee."

"Fearing that they could be carrying disease, Vance called Alpha Genesis. Within minutes, a Code X-for escape-was triggered, and a recapture mission was under way. Alpha Genesis employees set out fruit-baited traps; the Yemassee Police Department deployed thermal-imaging cameras. Residents were advised to shut their windows and to dial 911 if they spotted a fugitive. The police chief began to field tips about simian sightings as far away as Florida. Most of these informants, he found, had trouble distinguishing between monkeys and squirrels."

"In an unsettled nation eager for diversion, news of the escape went viral. The Daily Mail posted video dispatches from the perimeter of the Alpha Genesis facility, while late-night hosts provided updates about the primates who had voted with their feet. On Saturday, Vance was interviewed by Pete Hegseth on "Fox & Friends Weekend," which played a short clip of the breakout that Vance had captured with his phone."

A troop of macaques escaped from Alpha Genesis, a major primate-breeding facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, and moved toward nearby housing. Local authorities and Alpha Genesis triggered a Code X recapture, deploying fruit-baited traps, thermal-imaging cameras, and public advisories to shelter and report sightings. Tips came from across states, with some mistaken identifications. The escape garnered viral attention from tabloids, late-night shows, and cable news, amplifying public interest and political attention. The incident catalyzed an unusual alliance of animal-rights activists and conservative MAGA supporters calling for wholesale release of laboratory animals and questioning containment and oversight practices.

Read at The New Yorker