Dozens of monkeys are on the loose in a South Carolina town, after escaping from a research facility on Wednesday night.
A file photo of a rhesus macaque perched near a busy road in the New Territories of Hong Kong, 15 January 2004. Forty monkeys are on the loose in a South Carolina town after escaping from a research facility.PETER PARKS AFP/Getty Images
By Kevin Jiang
Nov. 7, 2024
Residents of Yemassee, South Carolina, were urged to keep alert and their doors and windows locked after 43 monkeys broke out of a primate research facility Wednesday afternoon.
In a Thursday update, Yemassee police say they were alerted around 1 p.m. Wednesday that dozens of Rhesus Macaque monkeys had escaped from the nearby Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center.
After searching for hours in collaboration with the research centre, police confirmed Alpha Genesis “have eyes on the primates and are working to entice them with food.”
“The public is advised to avoid the area as these animals are described as skittish and any additional noise or movement could hinder their safe capture.”
Police reiterated their prior warning that “residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes,” per their initial social media update.
Investigation
A company stopped importing monkeys to the U.S. for lab tests over smuggling concerns. Now they’re flooding into Canada
Locals are urged to avoid approaching or interacting with the animals; anyone who locates a monkey should call 911 immediately.
Police confirmed the monkeys were all very young female Rhesus Macaques that “have never been used for testing due to their young age and size.” According to Alpha Genesis, the animals are “too young to carry disease.”
On Facebook, the town of Yemassee clarified the monkeys are “not a health hazard or infected. They are, however, lost and scared, and caution should be used.”
It’s not currently known how the monkeys escaped the facility. Alpha Genesis didn’t immediately respond to the Star’s request for comment.
On its website, Alpha Genesis calls itself the “world’s premier provider of the finest nonhuman primate products and services.” A promotional video for the company claims it is “one of the largest and most comprehensive non human primate facilities in the United States.”
It’s not the first time monkeys escaped from the site; in 2016, 16 monkeys broke out of Alpha Genesis, only to be returned home six hours later, according to local newspaper The Post and Courier. Another local monkey escaped from its undisclosed owner in May; it was captured and subsequently found dead days later.
Kevin Jiang is a Toronto-based staff
Residents of Yemassee, South Carolina, were urged to keep alert and their doors and windows locked after 43 monkeys broke out of a primate research facility Wednesday afternoon.
In a Thursday update, Yemassee police say they were alerted around 1 p.m. Wednesday that dozens of Rhesus Macaque monkeys had escaped from the nearby Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center.
After searching for hours in collaboration with the research centre, police confirmed Alpha Genesis “have eyes on the primates and are working to entice them with food.”
“The public is advised to avoid the area as these animals are described as skittish and any additional noise or movement could hinder their safe capture.”
Police reiterated their prior warning that “residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes,” per their initial social media update.
Investigation
A company stopped importing monkeys to the U.S. for lab tests over smuggling concerns. Now they’re flooding into Canada
Locals are urged to avoid approaching or interacting with the animals; anyone who locates a monkey should call 911 immediately.
Police confirmed the monkeys were all very young female Rhesus Macaques that “have never been used for testing due to their young age and size.” According to Alpha Genesis, the animals are “too young to carry disease.”
On Facebook, the town of Yemassee clarified the monkeys are “not a health hazard or infected. They are, however, lost and scared, and caution should be used.”
It’s not currently known how the monkeys escaped the facility. Alpha Genesis didn’t immediately respond to the Star’s request for comment.
On its website, Alpha Genesis calls itself the “world’s premier provider of the finest nonhuman primate products and services.” A promotional video for the company claims it is “one of the largest and most comprehensive non human primate facilities in the United States.”
It’s not the first time monkeys escaped from the site; in 2016, 16 monkeys broke out of Alpha Genesis, only to be returned home six hours later, according to local newspaper The Post and Courier. Another local monkey escaped from its undisclosed owner in May; it was captured and subsequently found dead days later.
Kevin Jiang is a Toronto-based staff
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