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The monkey mayhem continues as 18 primates remain at large from a research facility in South Carolina.
On Wednesday, 43 rhesus macaques escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee.
However, “a large group is still active along the fence line and is currently sleeping in the trees,” police said in a statement.
Veterinarians who examined the recovered monkeys reported that they were all in good health, according to police.
On Saturday, the Yemassee Police Department said “a significant number of the remaining primates are still located just meters from the property, jumping back and forth over the facility’s fence.”
Free-ranging primates continue to communicate with their cage-mates inside the facility.
The update does not clarify whether the facility is keeping an eye on all escaped animals.
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Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told police Saturday that recovery efforts will continue “as long as necessary,” the statement said.
Police said Friday that Alpha Genesis staff and management were on site feeding and monitoring the animals on the perimeter of the facility.
Westergaard expressed optimism about the monkey’s behavior Friday, according to police.
The facility uses “Have a Heart” traps that are humanely designed with a trap door.
The Alpha Genesis Test Facility specializes in nonhuman primate research for the biomedical research community.
It is one of the largest primate facilities in the country designed specifically for monkeys, with more than 100 acres of land for research and breeding, according to its website.
The escaped primates were seen “playfully exploring the perimeter fence of the facility, making contact with those still inside by cooing to them,” police said Friday.
The monkeys “are acting calm and playful, which is a positive sign,” police said.
The police strongly urged residents to stay away from the perimeter of the facility, where the escaped primates were seen, because the animals “can be easily frightened.”
“They are described as very timid and they gather in groups,” Yemassee City Manager Matthew Garnes told CNN.
The monkeys are non-violent, but may become restless due to hunger, he said.
Residents were asked to keep their doors and windows closed to prevent the monkeys from entering their homes. Police advised those who come across the missing monkeys to refrain from interacting with them and call 911 immediately.
The young primates – all female and weighing between 2.7kg and 3.1kg – were never used for testing and are too young to carry the disease, police said.
This isn’t South Carolina’s first rodeo with monkeys on the loose.
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