Caesar’s sister, that’s you?? In an incident that sounds like a ‘Planet of the Apes’ plot, 43 female monkeys escaped a research facility named Alpha Genesis. Last week, police in South Carolina were warning residents about staying alert and safe. Now, new reports say that 30 of the escaped have been captured, while the rest are still on the loose.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Nov. 7 and updated on Nov. 11 with a recapture progress update.
Monkeys Escape In Beaufort County
Initial numbers from the Yemassee Police Department claimed that 40 primates had been on the loose on Nov. 6 as of 9:45 p.m. The female mammals escaped from Alpha Genesis Primate Research Facility in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The number of escaped animals rose to 43 as the recapture efforts continued. Additionally, the female monkeys that escaped were of the rhesus macaque breed.
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As of 5:40 p.m. ET on Nov. 11, 30 monkeys were back at the research facility. Police confirmed last week that the escapees were all female, young, and weighed between six and seven pounds. The facility says none of the animals were used for testing because of their age or size. Also, there is no risk of them carrying disease, per Alpha Genesis. What remains a mystery is HOW the animals busted out of their enclosures in the first place.
How Did Officials Capture The Primates?
Ironically, this isn’t the first time that monkeys have escaped from Alpha Genesis’ facilities. CBS News, citing the Post and Courier, reported that the 19 primates escaped eight years ago. However, they were all captured within six hours.
That’s what local police and Alpha Genesis intend to do again. In a social media update last week, the Yemassee Police Department revealed that they had set traps for the monkeys on the loose. Additionally, they were using thermal imaging cameras to locate the missing animals. Alpha Genesis, per Yemasseee PD, has also been trying to entice the remaining loose primates with food.
Amid the recapture efforts, cops warned folks in the Beaufort County area to avoid the animals if they see them. The area where this happened is about two hours away from Augusta, Georgia.
The police department’s Facebook post says, “If you see any of them, please DO NOT approach or attempt to interact with them; instead, contact 911 immediately!” Additionally, cops are telling residents to keep their doors and windows locked and secured to keep monkeys from entering their homes.
