Thermal Imaging Deployed, Locals Told to Secure Doors and Windows After 43 Monkeys Escape from Research Facility

A mass escape from a South Carolina research facility sent a community into lockdown mode.

Authorities in Beaufort County were first alerted Wednesday to dozens of rhesus macaques that escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research facility in Yemassee, according to WCSC-TV.

Residents in the local area were urged to take several precautions.

The Yemassee Police Department advised locals to secure all doors and windows to their homes.

Officials urged the public to never interact with the primates if they are spotted, but to call 911 immediately. The public is also warned that the animals are skittish, and attempting to approach them could thwart recovery efforts.

Police and Alpha Genesis staff are attempting to locate all of the simians with advanced thermal imaging and traps in the area.

Joint search teams are also being deployed to the woods.

Food is also being left in the woods surrounding the facility to entice the animals back, WYFF reported. The macaques are all still believed to be among the nearby trees. At this time, the public is being asked to avoid the Alpha Genesis center.

Efforts to capture 43 escaped monkeys continues in Yemassee, public asked to avoid Alpha Genesis facility https://t.co/YcoiMDn3gf

— Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, SC (@bcsopio) November 7, 2024

The 43 monkeys were able to escape the research facility because a door was left unsecured by a caretaker.

The monkeys are all female research animals.

According to the YPD, an Alpha Genesis representative asserted that the escaped macaques were too young to “carry disease.”

Because of the primates’ age and small size, Alpha Genesis said none of them have yet been used for testing.

Despite the assurances, the YPD is still warning the public.

“We urge anyone who sights or encounters one of these animals to contact 911 immediately and to refrain from approaching or interacting with them,” the department said in an update.

“These animals are highly sensitive and easily startled, we recommend that the public to avoid the area to prevent frightening them further.”

As of Friday, the primates remained uncaptured.

Assignment Editor

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