Thu Nov 07 17:40:00 UTC 2024: ## 43 Monkeys Escape Research Facility in South Carolina, Police Search Underway

YEMASSEE, SC – A large group of young female Rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from a research facility in South Carolina on Wednesday night, prompting a search by local authorities. The monkeys, described as too young to carry disease, escaped from Alpha Genesis, a company that provides nonhuman primate products and bio-research services.

Police and Alpha Genesis staff are working to recapture the animals, using food as enticement, traps, and thermal imaging cameras. Residents are urged to keep doors and windows secured and to call 911 if they spot any of the monkeys.

Alpha Genesis, known for its large, specialized nonhuman primate facility, conducts clinical trials, including research on brain disease treatments. The company operates a colony of 3,500 monkeys on Morgan Island, nicknamed “Monkey Island,” under a federal contract.

This incident marks the latest in a series of monkey escapes in the area, with similar incidents occurring in May 2023 and 2016. In 2022, three monkeys escaped after a traffic accident in Pennsylvania.

Alpha Genesis has yet to comment on the incident.

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