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Of the 39 primates that were recaptured, he says all remain in good health.
Westergaard confirmed in mid-November that there was no structural failure of the containment area where the monkeys are kept. He said there are two gates one must pass through to get inside the main enclosure where the monkeys live.
They are assuming the failure to secure the three gates “was the result of human error rather than malice,” Westergaard said, but added that they have no way of knowing that for certain.
The employee involved left the facility after the monkeys escaped, but said he was aware of no argument or disagreement involving the employee before the escape.
Westergaard said they continue to provide fruit and other treats, which he said “probably slows down the trapping process” but added that it seems to him to be “the right thing to do,“ Westergaard said.
”Rhesus monkeys are native to the Himalayan Mountains in Northern India, so the relatively mild Lowcountry winters are not an issue for them,” he said.
The word is the first update on the ongoing efforts to recapture the last of the escaped primates since news broke weeks ago that the U.S. Department of Agriculture was reviewing a complaint against the research facility.
The animal rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it submitted whistleblower complaints alleging misconduct.
“I can confirm that we recently received a complaint with some detailed allegations and that we are reviewing them to determine whether there are Animal Welfare Act noncompliance we need to follow up on,” USDA spokesman R. Andre Bell said in a statement.
Alpha Genesis did not respond to requests for comment on the complaint and the USDA has not provided updates on where that review stands.
Over the last 10 years, the facility has received over $130 million from the Department of Health and Human Services with the majority of that funding coming from taxpayer dollars.