In South Carolina, there sits an island inhabited exclusively by a colony of monkeys. But these are no ordinary monkeys.
A few hundred rhesus monkeys which were infected with the herpes B virus were brought over to the island from Puerto Rico back in 1979 and placed under ownership of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Some of them would go on to be used as test subjects in various vaccine programs.
Due to not wanting the herpes virus to spread to local populations, the island’s remote location made for ideal habitation for the monkeys. It also made for a great deal of conspiracy theories.
It is illegal to visit the island (however you can see the monkeys by boat) and stepping foot on it will result in a trespassing fine or arrest. This led some theorists to suggesting more sinister reasons as to people being prohibited from accessing the island.
These theories included anything from government testing of biochemical warfare, to Dr Moreau style experiments where the monkeys were genetically mutated.
This may all seem a bit far fetched, especially since no one passing by in a boat has mentioned anything about seeing any half-human, half-monkey person walking about, however the behaviour of the monkeys currently, does leave one to wonder…
These monkeys have been left undisturbed for a couple of decades and have displayed unusual tendencies, including strange burial rites for their dead, specific places on the island for hanging out, and even an isolated area where their elders go to die.
Morgan Island’s former breeding consultant, David M. Taub has stated that the truth is a lot less exciting and that there is nothing untoward going on on the island.
But if it was all one big cover-up, he would say that, wouldn’t he…
The M.O Podcast 