43 monkeys escape from South Carolina primate research facility

YEMASSEE, S.C. - Authorities in South Carolina are trying to capture 43 monkeys that escaped from a primate research facility.

According to the Yemassee Police Department, the escape happened at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center. Police say 43 rhesus macaque primates got out of their enclosure and are on the run.

Police say staff from the primate facility "have eyes on the primates and are working to entice them with food."

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05 November 2023 Sylhet, Bangladesh: FILE - Rhesus Macaque monkeys (Photo by Md Rafayat Haque Khan/ Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

The primates are all very young females weighing 6-7 pounds. They’ve never been used for testing because of their age, and they’re too young to carry disease, police said.

"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 said. "Residents are urged to keep their doors and windows securely closed and to report any sightings immediately by dialing 911. Please do not attempt to approach these animals under any circumstances."

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Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center is "one of the largest and most comprehensive nonhuman primate facilities, designed specifically for monkeys, in the United States," according to its website. It also oversees a colony of more than 3,000 monkeys on Morgan Island, known as Monkey Island, off the South Carolina coast.