More than half of the monkeys bred for medical research that escaped from a South Carolina compound last week have now been found unharmed, officials said Sunday.
Twenty-four monkeys were captured on Sunday, a day after another of the 43 escaped monkeys was recovered.
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A “significant group” remains active along the complex’s fence line and stays in the trees at night, police in Yemassee, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Savannah, Georgia, said in a statement. Veterinarians have examined the animals and initial reports indicate they are all in good health, police 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.
Since their escape, the monkeys have explored the outer fence of the Alpha Genesis complex, cooing at the monkeys inside. The primates continued to communicate with their companions at the facility on Saturday, which police said was a positive sign.
Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard has said efforts to recover all the monkeys will continue for as long as necessary.
The monkeys are about the size of a cat. They are all females and weigh about 3 kilos.
Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and police all said the monkeys do not pose a risk to public health. The facility breeds the monkeys to sell to medical and other researchers.
Alpha Genesis supplies primates for research around the world at its Yemassee facility, according to its website.
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