Mysterious Island Off South Carolina Coast Houses Over 4,000 Wild Monkeys But Humans Are Forbidden
A MYSTERIOUS island home to thousands of monkeys is quickly getting noticed – but humans are banned from taking a closer look.
Morgan Island, located 80 miles south of Charleston and directly off the coast of Beaufort, South Carolina, is home to over 4,000 monkeys.
Forbidden Island:
Videos of the island have gone viral on TikTok, with the animals running amuck on its sandy beaches. A sign can be seen nearby, which warns, “Do not feed, approach, disturb, molest, or injure the animals. Violators will be prosecuted.” Humans are forbidden from stepping foot on the island to preserve the existing monkey population. For those who are curious, however, it is possible to pass by on a boat or kayak.
Unusual Origins:
You might wonder how a colony of monkeys ended up on an island off the coast of South Carolina – the animals aren’t native to the area. In the summer of 1979, 1,400 monkeys were shipped to the island following a herpes outbreak in Puerto Rico. Since then, that number has tripled, but the population remains contained as 600 monkeys are taken from the island every year for animal testing purposes. The Post and Courier claimed “no testing is done on the island itself” and that “instead, researchers working on vaccines and medical treatments are sent monkeys.”
Ownership and Management:
The National Institute of Allergy + Infectious Diseases owns the monkey colony, but the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources owns and operates the island. Low Country Tidal Tours said a tour of the island is in high demand, costing $250 plus tip for the full experience. “Morgan Island itself has a fascinating story and seeing rhesus monkeys in the low country landscape is nothing short of surreal,” the tour company writes on their website.
Research and Controversy:
The monkeys on Morgan Island have been used in studies of vaccines that are available today, such as polio and AIDS. These monkeys aren’t completely left to their own devices as a private company is hired to take care of the animals, that is, for millions of dollars. In 2023, Alpha Genesis was hired to run, care for, and add more monkeys to Morgan Island. The private company, often targeted by animal rights activists, breeds thousands of monkeys in Yemassee, South Carolina, for research purposes. The U.S. Sun has reached out to Alpha Genesis for comment.