Forty-three monkeys made a daring escape from a medical research compound in South Carolina, but local authorities are assuring residents that there is “almost no danger” to the public.
“These monkeys are not infected with any disease whatsoever. They are harmless and a little skittish,” Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander stated on Thursday morning.
The breakout occurred on Wednesday when a new employee of the Alpha Genesis facility failed to securely close an enclosure, allowing the Rhesus macaque primates to slip away, Alexander explained.
According to the police, the monkeys are all females, each weighing approximately 7 pounds (3 kilograms), and are so young and small that they have not yet been used for testing. Alpha Genesis personnel quickly mobilized, keeping sight of the primates and attempting to lure them back with food, as noted in a midday Thursday statement from the police.
Typically, Alpha Genesis manages such escapes internally, but this time the monkeys ventured beyond the compound, about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from downtown Yemassee, said Alexander.
“The handlers are familiar with these monkeys and usually can entice them back with fruit or a small treat,” Alexander conveyed through a phone interview with The Associated Press.
Nonetheless, this particular round-up has proven more challenging. Alpha Genesis has deployed traps and thermal imaging cameras to track and recapture the fugitive monkeys, Alexander added.
“There is almost no danger to the public,” he reiterated.
Residents in the vicinity are advised to keep their windows and doors closed to prevent the monkeys from seeking refuge inside their homes. Authorities urge anyone who spots the primates to call 911 so that company officials and police can expedite their capture.
Alpha Genesis, which supplies primates for research globally, has its compound roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Savannah, Georgia. The company did not respond to an email inquiry about Wednesday’s incident.
The facility has a history of escapes. In 2018, federal authorities fined Alpha Genesis $12,600 following several escapes and incidents of inadequate animal care. Twenty-six primates fled the Yemassee facility in 2014, with an additional 19 escaping in 2016.
The animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now has called for immediate action. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the group requested a thorough investigation and the classification of Alpha Genesis as a repeat violator. This group was also involved in leading to the 2018 fine.
“The clear carelessness which allowed these 40 monkeys to escape endangered not only the safety of the animals, but also put the residents of South Carolina at risk,” wrote Michael Budkie, the group’s executive director, in his Thursday morning letter.
