County Officials in Georgia Rescind Vote on Construction of Monkey Husbandry Facility to Supply Medical Research

Long-tailed macaques (pictured here), unlike the specialized proboscis monkeys, are adaptable to different environments. They're not picky eaters and can survive in disturbed regions. Credit: Fany Brotcorne.

County officials in Bainbridge, Georgia, have rescinded the approval of a $396 million, 200-acre complex that would breed, raise, and store up to 30,000 long-tailed macaques for medical research.

The Decatur County-Bainbridge Industrial Development Authority, the city of Bainbridge, and the Decatur County Board of Education issued a joint statement taking back their support for the facility after the county “voted to disavow the” project “and to reject all tax abatements.”