There is an uproar in a small Georgia town over plans for a massive $400 million breeding farm for 30,000 monkeys to be sold for animal testing.
Safer Human Medicine sparked outrage in Bainbridge, in the southwestern part of the state, when the organization proposed a sprawling site for the long-tailed macaques.
Plans were filed earlier this month to build huge sheds to house the doomed primates on a 200-acre site near the town of 14,000.
But it was met with fierce opposition, with locals claiming it would stink and reduce the value of their homes.
Others expressed fear that the monkeys could escape during a hurricane or tornado, while animal rights activists attacked the company for selling them for animal testing.
Johnny and Penny Reynolds stand in their front yard with a sign reading “Stop the monkey farm!” that is about to be built about 300 feet from their property in Bainbridge, Georgia
Safer Human Medicine wants to build a $396 million complex that will eventually house up to 30,000 macaques. The company plans to employ up to 263 people
The site covers more than 200 hectares and will be built by the end of 2024
The environmental impact is also a concern for locals, who value the Flint River, which flows into Lake Seminole and whose waters reach the Gulf of Mexico.
Safer Human Medicine is led by executives who previously worked for two other companies that provide animals for medical testing.
One such company, Charles River Laboratories, was investigated last year for procuring wild monkeys smuggled from Cambodia.
Federal prosecutors claimed the monkeys were falsely labeled as captive-bred, as required by U.S. regulations. The company stopped deliveries from Cambodia.
Charles River had proposed a similar facility in Brazoria County, Texas, south of Houston, but it was blocked by local opposition.
The Bainbridge facility would provide a domestic source of monkeys to offset imports, the company said.
Concerned citizens of Decatur County and surrounding areas attend a meeting in Bainbridge, Georgia to voice their opposition to the monkey breeding facility
Residents of Bainbridge, Georgia, are working to stop a monkey breeding facility from being built in the rural community
Medical researchers use the animals to test drugs before trials on humans and to research infectious diseases and chronic diseases such as brain diseases.
Because of their similarity to humans, primates are crucial for research into a variety of diseases and infections.
Their use has led to breakthrough treatments for Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia, polio and COVID-19, according to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
Based on the “current state of science,” there are “no alternatives that can completely replace nonhuman primates,” the National Academies say.
“After the pandemic, we learned the hard way that our researchers in the U.S. need reliable access to healthy primates to develop and assess the safety of potentially life-saving medicines and therapies for you, your family, your friends and neighbors.” ” wrote Safer Human Medicine in an open letter to the Bainbridge community.
Medical researchers use macaques to test drugs before trials on humans and to research infectious diseases and chronic diseases such as brain disorders
Neighbors Penny Reynolds and Ashton Cato discuss their opposition to the monkey breeding facility planned to be built just a few hundred feet from their property in Bainbridge, Georgia
“We want to stop the breeding facility.” That is our overarching goal. We love being outside and I worry about our environment, about the noise. 30,000 monkeys…” said Penny Reynolds
“When I heard about it I was worried about myself, how it would affect the value of my property, what impact it would have on our health, and then suddenly it wasn't just about me anymore. “It really was about everyone these people in this area,” Johnny Reynolds said
“Without this important medical research, many of the drugs that are in your medicine cabinets today would not exist, and without these primates, research comes to a standstill.”
But the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and some residents say they fear the possibility that monkeys could escape into the community, along with other harm.
“They're an invasive species and 30,000 of them, we would just be overrun by monkeys,” Ted Lee, a local resident, told WALB-TV.
“How are we supposed to survive this? They have illnesses. We have a huge body of water here, the Flint River, so the environment is also a big deal. “It’s jacked up overall,” said Yvena Merritt, a concerned resident added.
“It's like putting a nuclear power plant in your backyard. “Think about what this thing is going to smell like,” James Chestnut, 65, who lives nearby, told USA Today.
The company believes such fears are unfounded, emphasizing that the facility “does not pose a threat to citizens” and “nothing discharged from our facility poses a hazard or risk to the environment.”
Residents had many questions about the proposed site, which was approved
At a council meeting held in Bainbridge last week, locals stood to ask questions
“It's like putting a nuclear power plant in your backyard.” “Think about what this thing is going to smell like,” said James Chestnut, 65, who lives nearby
The meeting was all talk about the proposed facility, which until then had been shrouded in secrecy
Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA's scientific adviser on primate experiments, said there is a risk of local people being exposed to pathogens and diseases.
“To attract a few jobs – many of them low-paying and risking exposure to zoonotic diseases – city and county officials have rolled out the red carpet for an unethical plan by some questionable characters that could trigger an ecological catastrophe and potentially trigger a zoonotic disease outbreak “next pandemic,” Jones-Engel said in a statement.
“PETA urges Bainbridge officials to withdraw their support and end this project before a shovel is put in the ground,” she wrote.
The company and local officials said the nonprofit and community's concerns were unfounded.
Residents living near the site believe it will reduce the value of their homes, but essentially the decision has been made to proceed with construction on the site.
“Was the decision made based on good information? Because I think information has now been disclosed and will harm the value of my property. There is no doubt about it,” said a concerned local.
“The citizens who live near this project and the community as a whole stand to lose if something goes wrong.” “Anyone who didn’t do the background information on this project should be fired.”
“When I heard about it I was worried about myself, how it would affect the value of my property, what impact it would have on our health, and then suddenly it wasn't just about me anymore. “It really was about everyone these people in this area,” said neighbors of the proposed facility, Penny and Johnny Reynolds.
Both are in their 70s
“We want to stop the breeding facility.” That is our overarching goal. We love being outside and I worry about our environment, about the noise. “30,000 monkeys…” Penny added, worried about how her quality of life would be affected.
“It’s unreal.” Our world is upside down. This is a disaster. I don't want the kids playing out here and breathing in this monkey stuff. What if someone gets out? That's all it takes.'
David and Donna Barber discuss their opposition to the monkey breeding facility being built on the property they stand on in Bainbridge, Georgia
“You should have talked to us,” said 70-year-old David Barber (left), a semi-retired farmer. “We didn’t have to find out about that in the newspaper.”
PETA representative Amy Meyer answered questions from concerned locals about the monkey breeding facility being built in Bainbridge, Georgia
PETA opposes the project and highlights potential environmental hazards, while community meetings were held to develop strategies
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have been proactive in making their case as to why construction of the lab should not be permitted
The entire process of approving the facility was shrouded in secrecy, which only caused more anger and distrust among residents.
County and city officials have all signed nondisclosure agreements, meaning the public was not informed until the contract with Safer Human Medicine was signed.
Local officials even agreed to a 100 percent property tax abatement for the project in December — waiving it for the first 10 years and then gradually reducing the abatement until it ended after 20 years.
“They should have talked to us,” said 70-year-old David Barber, a semi-retired farmer. “We didn’t have to find out about that in the newspaper.”
Rick McCaskill, executive director of the Bainbridge & Decatur County Development Authority, said the risks are low because veterinarians and trained staff work with the monkeys.
“It's a mixture of a maximum security prison and a daycare center.” There will be a lot of monkeys, no question. “We have more cows in the county than we have people, and we have more chickens in the county than we have people,” McCaskill said.
“So you have to take a deep breath and go through all the misinformation out there.”
Artist drawings of the complex show monkeys in rooms surrounded by toys and obstacles
The $396 million complex would house about 30,000 monkeys – twice the city's human population
An artistic representation of what the facility might look like from the inside
It has become more difficult to get enough monkeys for research. Historically, most monkeys came from China, which stopped importing monkeys into the United States in 2020
Artist drawings of the complex show monkeys in rooms surrounded by toys and obstacles.
The company said the monkeys would live in a safe environment but with plenty of space “to forage, eat and play.”
“Safer Human Medicine’s leadership has dedicated their careers to the responsible use and care of animals in medical research,” the company said in a statement.
“We are all proud to have done our part to make safe, life-saving medicines a reality for Americans and their families.” “We have always been committed to acting responsibly and ethically throughout our many decades in this field.”
Investors expect the facility to be built will be fully operational by the end of 2024, although the entire 30,000 monkeys won't be on site for about nine years.