More than 40 monkeys escaped from the Alpha Genesis research center in Yemassee, South Carolina, on Wednesday, prompting authorities to advise nearby residents to close their doors and windows. As of Saturday, only one monkey had been captured and 42 were still loose. The escape occurred when a keeper accidentally left the door open, allowing the rhesus monkeys to escape.
Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, told CBS News on Friday that although the monkeys have not been captured, they remain near the facility.
“They just act like weird little monkeys, jumping up and down, playing with each other,” he said. “It’s like a playground.”
The company has set bait traps, but the monkeys have not yet entered them, Vestergaard said.
The monkeys avoid the trap, jump to grab the food, and then retreat to higher ground. Efforts to capture them will continue throughout the weekend.
Escapee monkeys are rhesus monkeys native to Asia and known for their adaptability and curiosity. They were not used for testing due to their young age. The center breeds and conducts research on non-human primates for global biomedical research, including the study of brain disorders.
This incident is not the first time that Alpha Genesis has escaped. In 2016, 19 primates escaped but were recaptured within six hours. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the risk to the public is low as long as people avoid contact with the monkeys.
The center is registered with the CDC and follows strict guidelines for the importation and quarantine of primates.
Cursor previously wrote that monkeys helped reveal the secrets of previously unknown medicinal plants.
