More than 40 monkeys escaped from a research facility in South Carolina on Wednesday night, prompting authorities to warn residents to lock doors and windows.
The Yemassee Police Department confirmed that 43 rhesus macaques escaped from the Alpha Genesis facility in Beaufort County. Authorities were using traps and thermal imaging cameras to track down the primates, but none were captured as of Thursday morning.
"Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes," police said in a statement. "If you spot any of the escaped animals, please contact 911 immediately and refrain from approaching them."
Alpha Genesis, Inc., according to its website, supplies non-human primates for research, offers contract research services, conducts diagnostic testing on primates, and provides biological products such as blood and tissue samples.
The Yemassee Police Department reported that a team of officers was working alongside Alpha Genesis staff to locate and recapture the animals.
"We want to assure the community that there is no health risk associated with these animals," police said Thursday.
Alpha Genesis has faced previous incidents of monkeys escaping. Between 2014 and 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the facility four times for such occurrences, according to The State.
In 2014, 26 monkeys broke free but were recaptured within two days, although one remained missing. Later, two more escaped, one dying from dart injuries. In 2016, a monkey escaped due to a faulty cage lock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture fined the facility $12,600 for these escapes and for two additional violations: one involving monkeys suffering from dehydration and another in which a monkey died after being placed in an inappropriate enclosure.
"When you have monkeys out in open-air corrals, they're monkeys. Occasionally they're going to get out, walls fall down; storms come through," CEO and President Greg Westergaard said at the time. "They always return, though."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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