More than half of the monkeys bred for medical research that escaped from a compound in South Carolina last week have now been recovered unharmed, officials announced on Sunday.
Twenty-four monkeys were captured on Sunday, just a day after another of the 43 escaped monkeys was recovered. Despite this progress, a “sizeable group” remains active along the fence line of the compound and has bedded down in the trees for the night, according to police in Yemassee, which is about 50 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia.
Veterinarians have been examining the recovered animals, and initial reports indicate that they are all in good health. The monkeys, Rhesus macaques, managed to break free on Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee failed to fully lock a door while feeding and checking on them, officials said.
Since their escape, the monkeys have been exploring the outer fence of the Alpha Genesis compound, often cooing at their companions inside. The primates’ continued interaction with the monkeys still inside the facility has been viewed as a positive development by the police.
Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard has committed to ongoing efforts to recapture all the escaped monkeys, no matter how long it takes.
The escaped monkeys are described as being about the size of a cat, all female, and weighing approximately 7 pounds each. Despite the escape, Alpha Genesis, along with federal health officials and local police, have assured the public that the monkeys pose no health risk.
Alpha Genesis, which provides primates for research purposes worldwide, continues its operations at its Yemassee compound. The facility is known for breeding monkeys to be sold to medical and other research entities.
