Monkeys spotted in wooded area in South Carolina after escaping from research facility
Several monkeys on the loose were captured on video after dozens of them escaped from a research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina on Wednesday, November 6. (Daniel Vance via Storyful)
YEMASSEE, SC – Authorities in South Carolina provided an update on Friday 43 monkeys escaped from a primate research facility earlier this week.
Officials said the monkeys, bred for medical research, have been spotted in forests near the site and workers are using food to recapture them.
“They are very social monkeys and they travel in groups, so when the first couple goes out, the others tend to just join in,” Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, told CBS News.
Westergaard said his main goal is to return the monkeys safely, without any other problems.
FILE: Rhesus monkey (Credit: Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“I think they’re having an adventure,” he said.
The rhesus monkeys took a break Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee failed to fully lock the door while feeding and checking on them, officials said.
According to police, the primates are all very young females weighing 6 to 7 pounds. They have never been used for testing because of their age and they are too young to carry diseases.
“I think they’re having an adventure.”
“The public is advised to avoid the area as these animals are described as skittish and any additional noise or movement could interfere with their safe capture,” police said. “Residents are urged to keep their doors and windows tightly closed and to report any sightings immediately by calling 911. Do not attempt to approach these animals under any circumstances.”
Police added Friday that the primates “exhibit calm and playful behavior, which is a positive indication,” adding that company employees are closely monitoring the monkeys while keeping their distance as they work to recapture them safely .
PREVIOUSLY: 43 monkeys escape from primate research center in South Carolina
The Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center is “one of the largest and most comprehensive non-human primate facilities designed specifically for apes in the United States,” according to its website. It also oversees a colony of more than 3,000 monkeys on Morgan Island, known as Monkey Island, off the coast of South Carolina.
In 2016, 26 primates escaped
In 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture fined Alpha Genesis $12,600, in part after officials said 26 primates escaped from the Yemassee facility in 2014 and another 19 in 2016.
The company’s fine was also imposed due to individual monkey escapes and the killing of one monkey by others when it was placed in the wrong social group, according to a USDA report.
The group Stop Animal Exploitation Now sent a letter to the USDA on Thursday asking it to immediately send an inspector to the Alpha Genesis facility, conduct a thorough investigation and treat them as repeat offenders. The group was involved in the 2018 fine against the company.
“The apparent carelessness that allowed these 40 monkeys to escape not only jeopardized the animals’ safety, but also endangered the residents of South Carolina,” wrote Michael Budkie, the group’s executive director.
The USDA, which has inspected the complex 10 times since 2020, did not immediately respond to the letter. The most recent federal inspection of the facility in May found there were about 6,700 primates on site and there were no problems.