Monkeys ‘playfully exploring’ after escaping South Carolina facility

YEMASSEE, S.C. (WCBD) – None of the more than 40 monkeys that escaped a research facility in Beaufort County earlier this week have been captured as of Friday midday.

The primates, 43 rhesus macaques, escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center on Wednesday after an employee did not fully shut an enclosure. They have been on the lam ever since.

The facility is located on Castle Hall Road between Le Creuset Road and Wall Street.

A public information officer for the Town of Yemassee said the primates were “playfully exploring the perimeter fence of the facility” while also engaging with others inside by “cooing to them.”

Staff from Alpha Genesis are keeping a close watch on the monkeys while keeping a safe distance.

“The primates are exhibiting calm and playful behavior, which is a positive indication,” officials said. “We kindly urge the public to stay clear of this area as Alpha Genesis works diligently to safely recover these animals and return them to their habitats unharmed.”

Alpha Genesis maintained there was no threat to public health. The monkeys were described as very young females weighing roughly 6-7 lbs.

Police, relaying information from the facility, said on Thursday that the animals had never been used for testing because of their young age and weight, and added the animals are too young to carry disease.

Residents have been asked to keep their doors and windows securely shut, and to stay away from the area. Law enforcement and workers from the facility have set up traps and thermal imaging cameras around the area and are working to safely and humanely capture the animals, while also enticing them back home with food.