Mon Nov 11 10:46:25 UTC 2024: ## Monkey Business: 43 Macaques Escape South Carolina Research Facility
YEMASSEE, SC – A chaotic scene unfolded in the small town of Yemassee, South Carolina, after 43 rhesus macaques escaped from a research facility on Wednesday. The monkeys, described as “very young females” weighing less than 10 pounds, took advantage of a caretaker’s oversight, leaving an enclosure door unlatched and sprinting to freedom.
Local authorities are urging residents to stay vigilant, keeping doors and windows closed and avoiding contact with the animals. While the monkeys are not considered aggressive, their escape has sparked concern in the community.
“It’s kind of like follow-the-leader – one goes out and there’s, like, a mad dash,” said Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, the research facility.
Despite their youth, the monkeys are too young to undergo clinical testing and do not pose an infectious disease threat to humans, Westergaard assured. Officials are deploying traps with fresh fruit and vegetables, hoping to entice the primates back into captivity.
The escape marks the largest monkey breakout in recent history at the facility, which is home to about 7,000 monkeys used in scientific research. While escapes have occurred in the past, the town’s residents are used to occasional monkey sightings.
“We’re not strangers to seeing monkeys randomly,” said David Paul Murray, a town council member.
However, in 2017, the Department of Agriculture fined Alpha Genesis over $12,000 for failing to contain the animals. The facility is currently under scrutiny following this latest escape. Authorities are working diligently to recapture the escaped monkeys and ensure the safety of both the animals and the community.
First Piper 