On Wednesday afternoon, 43 rhesus macaques escaped from the forest. Alpha Creation primate research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, following an incident where a handler reportedly left the doors unsecured. The number of escaped primates, described as “very young females” weighing about 6 to 7 pounds, initially thought to be 40, was later updated to 43, according to Yemassee Police.
The monkeys are still on the loose and police have advised residents to keep their distance. According to some media reports, some of the monkeys, weighing about 1.8 kilograms and feeding on fruit and insects, were seen running around on the roof of a warehouse and congregating near a local food pantry.

Greg Westergaard, the research facility’s CEO, told NBC News that the incident was caused by human error when the keeper in charge of routine cleaning and feeding failed to secure two separate doors in a new enclosure. Police confirmed that the monkeys were never used for testing purposes due to their young age and small size. A spokesman for Alpha Genesis also told authorities that “these animals are too young to carry the disease.” The animals are thought to be in the woodland surrounding the facility and officers are assisting Alpha Genesis staff in their efforts to bring the monkeys back using food.
In a statement, Yemassee police advised the public to avoid the area to prevent further distress because the animals are extremely sensitive and startled easily. They also stated that if detected, citizens should immediately inform the authorities.

However, this is not the first case of its kind. According to The Post and Courier, 19 monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis in 2016 but were caught almost six hours later; In December 2014, 26 monkeys escaped. According to their website, Alpha Genesis conducts research projects for government, universities and the private sector. Customers. Alpha Genesis has about 5,000 monkeys at two sites in Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Species include marmosets, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, African Greens, and several New World species.
The facility claims to have an “experienced and caring staff” who are “dedicated to conducting humane research on nonhuman primates to advance knowledge in the field of primate biology and address human health concerns.”