After 43 monkeys escaped from a research facility in South Carolina this week, one has been recovered, Yemassee police announced Saturday. The animal was unharmed.
The animals escaped from an enclosure Thursday when an employee doing routine cleaning and feeding failed to close two doors behind her.
The rest of the 42 primates still roam freely just a few feet from the Alpha Genesis grounds, swinging from trees and jumping back and forth over the facility’s fence. Facility staff are on site to feed and monitor the animals, police said, which is a good sign.
Police are asking the public not to enter the area surrounding the Yemassee facility as the monkeys are easily spooked.
Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said efforts to recover all the animals will continue through the weekend and for as long as necessary. Alpha Genesis uses the monkeys for biomedical research.
Westergaard told The Hilton Head Island Packet that if they can’t lure the monkeys with food, they will eventually use tranquilizer darts.
“We love the monkeys,” Westergaard said. “I just hope we can get them back passively.”
The escaped primates do not pose a risk to public health, police say.
This isn’t the first time monkeys have been loose in Yemassee, where more primates than humans live within the city limits. In 2014, 45 monkeys escaped.
Police will share more information as it becomes available. If you see any of the monkeys, report it by calling the police and avoid approaching or interacting with the animals.
