More than half of the monkeys that escaped from a medical research facility in South Carolina last week have now been safely recovered, officials reported on Sunday.
On Sunday alone, 24 of the 43 escaped Rhesus macaques were captured, a day after one more was found. A “significant group” of monkeys remains in the area near the compound’s fence line and spent the night in nearby trees, according to police in Yemassee, South Carolina, located about 50 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia. Veterinarians have been examining the animals, and early reports indicate that they are all in good health.
The monkeys escaped on Wednesday when an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility accidentally left a door unlocked while feeding and checking on them. Since their escape, the monkeys have been seen interacting with the others still inside the compound, often gathering near the fence. Police noted that this behavior was a good sign, indicating they were still in good spirits.
Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, stated that efforts to recover all the escaped monkeys will continue until they are all safely caught.
The monkeys, each about the size of a cat, are all female and weigh around 7 pounds (3 kilograms). Alpha Genesis, along with federal health authorities and local police, has assured the public that the monkeys do not pose any health risks. The facility breeds these primates for sale to medical researchers and other scientific institutions.
According to its website, Alpha Genesis supplies primates for research purposes globally from its compound in Yemassee.