Immokalee primate facility gets second citation, monkey mistakenly sent to Miami waste facility

IMMOKALEE, Fla. (WINK) — Federal inspectors have cited a biomedical primate research facility in Immokalee for the second time after a monkey was mistakenly transported to a biomedical waste facility in Miami.

The new citation comes just weeks after the same facility was cited for a critical violation of the Animal Welfare Act following the deaths of two monkeys exposed to extreme heat in January.

According to a newly released inspection report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture [UDSA], investigators cited BC US LLC after staff failed to recognize a monkey was still inside a transport crate before discarding it.

"The facility failed to handle a nonhuman primate as expeditiously and carefully as possible in a manner that does not cause trauma, behavior stress, or unnecessary discomfort," the USDA report states.

The incident happened on Jan. 28 when the facility received a shipment of approximately 300 nonhuman primates, according to the USDA report. The report states corrective measures were implemented at the facility by Feb. 13.

Inspectors say staff transferred the animals into quarantine enclosures, but an animal care technician mistakenly identified one crate as empty. The crate — with a monkey still inside — was removed and placed in a disposal container that was transported offsite.

On Feb. 2, an employee at a third-party waste disposal company discovered the monkey when opening the container.

The animal was darted, recovered and identified as belonging to BC US LLC. It was transported back to the Immokalee facility and later euthanized due to bio-containment concerns.

"The biosecurity and public health implications of this colossal mistake are mind-boggling... PETA again calls for local and federal investigations and an end to the importation of monkeys to U.S. laboratories," a PETA spokesperson said in an email.

The inspection report warns failing to properly verify empty transport crates can lead to prolonged confinement and negatively impact an animal’s health and well-being.

BC US released a statement prior to the USDA's violation, which you can find here. 

WINK Investigates emailed BC US for additional comment after the USDA issued its most recent violation. In an email, they responded saying, "Nothing to add." 

"Something needs to be done dramatically"

According to a BC US LLC spokesperson, many of the monkeys they maintain are bred in Mauritius, an island nation off the coast of Africa. Those monkeys are then transported to Florida for quarantine before being sent to biomedical research facilities.

BC US says its work supports research into diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer, and that non-human primates remain an important part of certain types of medical research.

In a prior statement, the company acknowledged the January incident and said the mistake occurred when staff did not follow established procedures during the unloading process. A BC US spokesperson said in an email it has since revised protocols, added verification steps and retrained staff to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Rob Howell, a primatologist and Florida naturalist, who is also known as “Ranger Rob," studied behavioral zoology and primates. He says he believes many people are unaware primate research facilities operate in Southwest Florida.

“Behind the scenes, there's a lot of medical industry and research down here in Florida,” Howell said. “Before they go to human testing, they usually go to primate testing, which is monkeys and apes.”

Howell said incidents like this raise broader questions about the industry.

“When animals are dying from not even the tests that they're doing on the animals, just their living facilities, that tells me something needs to be done dramatically,” Howell said.

BC US says the Miami incident was the first event of its kind since the Immokalee facility opened in 2014. The company says federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have been notified of the incident.

Howell said primates are highly intelligent and social animals, often used in biomedical research because of their biological similarities to humans.

“They have tight knit communities and really strong social bonds with each other,” he said. “They mourn after troop members have passed. They celebrate together.”

While acknowledging the role primates have historically played in medical testing, Howell said emerging technologies may eventually provide alternatives.

“We can probably start running all kinds of simulations with AI and genetic research put together,” Howell said.

WINK Investigates will continue to update you as we learn more.