1 monkey recovered after dozens of escapes in South Carolina. Others are ‘hopping back and forth’ near the research facility

CNN
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Monkey mayhem continues as 42 primates are on the loose from a research facility in South Carolina.

On Wednesday, 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee.

In a midday update Saturday, the Yemassee Police Department announced that one of the missing monkeys has been returned unharmed. “A significant number of the remaining primates are still only a few meters from the property, jumping back and forth over the facility’s fence,” police said in a statement.

The loose primates continue to interact with their caged counterparts inside the facility. The update does not clarify whether the facility has eyes on all the stray animals.

Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told police Saturday that recovery efforts will continue “as long as it takes,” the statement said.

Police said Friday that Alpha Genesis staff and management were on site feeding and monitoring the animals on the perimeter of the facility.

According to the police, Westergaard expressed optimism regarding the monkeys’ behavior on Friday. The facility uses “Have a Heart” traps, which are humanely designed with a trap door.

The Alpha Genesis testing facility specializes in non-human primate research for the biomedical research community. It is one of the largest primate facilities in the country designed specifically for monkeys, with over 100 acres of land for research and breeding purposes, according to its website.

The escaped primates have been seen “exploring the facility’s perimeter fence and engaging with those still inside by cooing at them,” police said Friday. The monkeys “exhibit calm and playful behavior, which is a positive indication,” police said.

Police strongly urged residents to stay away from the facility’s perimeter, where the runaway primates have been seen, because the animals “can be easily spooked.”

“They are described as being very skittish and will congregate in groups,” Yemassee Town Administrator Matthew Garnes told CNN. The monkeys are non-violent but can become restless due to hunger, he said.

Residents have been asked to keep doors and windows closed to prevent the monkeys from entering their homes. Police advised those who come across the missing monkeys to refrain from interacting with them and immediately call 911. The young primates — all female and between 6 and 7 pounds — have never been used for testing and are too young to carry disease, police said.

This isn’t South Carolina’s first rodeo with monkeys on the loose. It was reported by The Post and Courier in Beaufort County that 19 monkeys escaped from the same facility in 2016, but were returned after six hours.

This is a developing story and will be updated.