40 monkeys escape South Carolina research facility; residents advised to secure homes

Following the 40 monkeys' escape from the South Carolina research facility, residents were advised to close their windows and doors. Customers of Alpha Genesis, the company that runs the lab where the monkeys went missing, can purchase nonhuman primate products and bio-research service.

Police in South Carolina are searching for 40 escaped monkeys and are advising residents to keep their doors and windows closed, as quoted in a report by The Independent.

Police are looking for the fugitives in Yemassee, South Carolina. According to the company's website, Alpha Genesis offers nonhuman primate products and bio-research services, which is where the agent claimed the monkey had escaped.


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According to NBC News, the police and animal wranglers have set up traps in the suspected hiding place of the monkeys and are using thermal imaging cameras to help locate the primates.

According to a statement from the Yemassee Sheriff's Department, residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes. The Yemassee Police Department advised anyone who spots or finds a monkey to dial 911.

Alpha Genesis conducts research trials using monkeys and is one of the largest and most comprehensive nonhuman primate facilities in the United States.

The facility houses more than 6,000 monkeys. The sheriff's department did not confirm which species of monkey escaped the lab, but Alpha Genesis's website states it primarily works with capuchin and macaques.

It is unclear if the monkeys were part of an ongoing clinical trial or what kind of testing they had undergone before escaping. Alpha Genesis maintains a colony of 3,500 monkeys on Morgan Island, South Carolina, which has since been called Monkey Island.

This is not the first time monkeys have escaped into Beaufort County, South Carolina; there have been several other escapes, including an incident in 2016 when 19 monkeys spent six hours on the run.

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Besides the Alpha Genesis's Monkey Island in South Carolina, there are at least three species of monkeys with breeding populations living in Florida, none native, including rhesus macaques that were intended to be a part of a tourist attraction in the 1930s.

FAQs

Why are residents told to keep their doors and windows closed?
Residents of Yemassee, South Carolina, have been advised to secure their homes after 40 monkeys escaped from a research facility. Authorities are attempting to apprehend the primates and want to prevent any of them from entering residential areas.

What measures are being taken to apprehend the escaped monkeys?
Police and animal handlers are using traps and thermal imaging cameras to track down the escaped monkeys. Residents have been instructed to call 911 if they see a monkey and not to approach or handle the animals.