Planet of the Apes? 43 monkeys escape from South Carolina medical lab

Forty-three Rhesus macaque monkeys have escaped from a research facility in South Carolina, but local authorities have assured the public that there is "almost no danger." “They are not infected with any disease whatsoever. They are harmless and a little skittish,” Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander said Thursday morning. The escape occurred on Wednesday when a new employee at the Alpha Genesis facility failed to properly secure the enclosure, allowing the primates to break free.

Monkeys are young and small, authorities say no immediate threat

The escaped monkeys are all females, each weighing around 7 pounds (3 kilograms). Authorities confirmed that they are too young and small to have been used for medical testing. Alpha Genesis employees “currently have eyes on the primates and are working to entice them with food,” police said in a statement issued around noon Thursday.

According to police, the company typically handles such escapes internally, but this time the monkeys made it outside the compound and spread out over an area about one mile from downtown Yemassee. “The handlers know them well and usually can get them back with fruit or a little treat,” said Alexander. “There is almost no danger to the public,” Alexander said.

Efforts underway to recapture the monkeys

Alpha Genesis, a company that supplies primates for research worldwide, is now in an effort to recapture the escaped monkeys. The company has set up traps and is using thermal imaging cameras to track down the primates. Local authorities are advising residents to keep their windows and doors shut to prevent the monkeys from entering homes. If anyone spots the animals, they are urged to call 911 so both company officials and police can respond quickly.

A history of escapes and criticism

This is not the first time Alpha Genesis has dealt with escaped primates. In 2018, the company was fined USD 12,600 by federal authorities after several incidents, including escapes and inadequate care for the animals. In 2014 and 2016, dozens of monkeys also managed to escape from the same facility.

The animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN) has raised concerns over the safety and treatment of the animals at Alpha Genesis. The group has called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to send an inspector to the facility and conduct a thorough investigation, citing Alpha Genesis as a "repeated violator" of regulations. “The clear carelessness which allowed these 40 monkeys to escape endangered not only the safety of the animals, but also put the residents of South Carolina at risk,” Michael Budkie, the executive director of the group, wrote in the Thursday morning letter.

Alpha Genesis, which operates about 50 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, has not yet responded to requests for comment on the latest escape.

Agency