Forty-three monkeys escaped their enclosures at an Alpha Genesis research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, on Wednesday.
In a Thursday press release, the Yemassee Police Department confirmed that 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped from their enclosures at the Alpha Genesis facility located on Castle Hall Road in Yemassee at roughly 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Police officials described the monkeys as “very young females weighing approximately 6-7lbs.”
The Yemassee Police Department said, “The animals have never been used for testing due to their young age and size. A spokesperson from Alpha Genesis can confirm that these animals are too young to carry disease.”
Thursday’s press release noted that the Yemassee Police Department was working with Alpha Genesis to locate and re-capture the missing monkeys.
A Yemassee Police Department statement shared by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office provided an update for local residents, saying, “Currently, staff with the facility are watching the monkeys while working to entice them with food. The public is asked to avoid the area around Alpha Genesis due to the skittish nature of these young monkeys noting any additional noises and/or movements could hinder their safe capture.”
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The Daily Caller reported that Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander urged people to contact law enforcement officials rather than attempt to capture the monkeys themselves if they spot the escaped primates. “Just don’t try to take these things home or pet them,” Alexander said. “We’re getting a lot of that on our social media. That’s a felony because they don’t belong to you.”
A picture of the rhesus macaque primates has been shared on X, formerly Twitter, alongside an alert warning residents to “keep doors and windows locked” and to “not approach” the missing monkeys.
According to the organization’s website, Alpha Genesis “provides the highest quality nonhuman primate products and bio-research services world-wide.” The company’s website adds, “With a client base that extends across North America, Europe, and Asia, we are dedicated to providing only the best and most cost-effective primate research and development support to the scientific community.”
