more than that 40 monkeys escaped from a research facility in South Carolina On Wednesday, nearby residents were warned to secure their doors and windows. One of the escaped monkeys He was captured safely, but 42 people were still at large as of Saturday, authorities said.

Here’s what we know so far:

Where exactly in South Carolina did the monkeys escape?

Primates escaped from Alpha Genesis in Yemassee, Beaufort County, South Carolina.

The company confirmed that 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped from an enclosure at one of the company’s facilities.

The Yemassee Police Department said Thursday that baited traps were set and thermal imaging cameras were used to capture the monkeys.

“Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secure to prevent these animals from entering homes,” police said. in question. “If you see any of the stray animals, please call 911 immediately and avoid approaching them.”

How did the monkeys escape from the research facility?

Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told CBS News on Thursday that a keeper accidentally failed to lock a door in the enclosure, allowing the monkeys to roam free.

“It’s really like following the leader. You see one go, the others go,” he said. “It was a group of 50 people and 7 people stayed behind and 43 people rushed out the door.”

He told CBS News on Friday that although they did not capture any monkeys, they remained near the facility.

“They’re just silly monkeys jumping back and forth playing with each other,” he said. “It’s kind of like a playground situation here.”

Westergaard said the company had set up baited traps, but the monkeys had not yet gotten into them.

“They jump down, grab the food, and then jump back over the fence and treeline,” he added. “They’re watching us just like we’re watching them.”

He acknowledged that getting them back would be a long process and that they did not want to chase the monkeys because it would scare them and cause them to run away.

“We came very close to them,” Westergaard said. “This is all what we want to see.”

Were the monkeys saved?

Only one of the monkeys was rescued As of Saturday afternoon.

Police said Saturday that 42 other primates were still found several feet from the facility and were jumping back and forth over the facility’s fence, the Associated Press reported.

Westergaard stated that efforts to save all animals will continue throughout the weekend and for as long as it takes.

What kind of monkeys are these?

The escaped monkeys were rhesus macaque primates with brown fur and red faces and ears. They have short-cropped hair on their heads, which emphasizes their very expressive faces.

Rhesus macaques are Asian, Old World monkeys found primarily in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, and China.

Rhesus macaques were imported to the United States for biomedical research in laboratories in the 1970s, according to the report. New England Primate Sanctuary.

Rhesus macaques are “brave, highly curious and adventurous monkeys” and the species is “extremely adapted to living alongside humans”, the conservancy says.

The typical diet of rhesus macaques includes roots, fruits, seeds, and bark, as well as insects and small animals.

What were they using the monkeys to test?

Alpha Gensis breeds monkeys and provides “non-humane primate products and bioresearch services” worldwide, according to its website. Company’s clinical trials reportedly included Research on progressive brain disorders.

The escaped primates were “very young females weighing approximately 6-7 lbs” and were never used for testing due to their age, local officials said Thursday.

Alpha Genesis says its team of veterinary technicians and animal experts work with cynomolg, rhesus and capuchin monkeys.

Postal and Courier The newspaper reported last year that Alpha Genesis won a federal contract to oversee a colony of 3,500 rhesus monkeys on South Carolina’s Morgan Island, known as “Monkey Island.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed in a statement that the monkeys previously lived on Morgan Island as “free-ranging monkeys” and were brought to the Alpha Genesis facility “to condition them to be around humans.”

The agency said the facility is registered with the CDC as an importer of nonhuman primates, which means it “must meet standards for the import, quarantine, and use of NHPs.”

The CDC added that “the risk to the public is low as long as people do not approach or come into contact with the monkeys.”

How often do research monkeys escape?

This isn’t the first time primates have escaped from Alpha Genesis.

Eight years ago, 19 primates escaped They were removed from the company’s facility but were recaptured approximately six hours later.

At the time, CBS affiliate WCSC in Charleston reported that local officials said escapes were not uncommon, but often the monkeys returned to the compound where they knew there was food.

“Every couple of years one or two come out. We’ve never seen this many coming out,” Westergaard told CBS News on Friday.

Last year, dozens of laboratory monkeys in Pennsylvania escaped after being hit by a truck carrying 100 animals. All primates later taken into account.

Research facility has history of USDA violations

An investigation by CBS affiliate WTOC It found that Alpha Genesis received eight violations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2022; housing facilities violation and veterinary violation.

The report found that in the first eight months of 2022, six monkeys were placed in the wrong enclosures, one animal was found dead “from trauma caused by resident animals in the enclosure” and four animals subsequently required veterinary care.

WTOC also reported that there were six separate incidents of monkeys escaping from enclosures during the same period. After those escapes, the company repaired the chain link and got rid of some of the punctured cages, according to the station’s report.

Alpha Genesis was last inspected by the USDA in May 2024 and found no violations. That report indicates that at least 6,701 monkeys were on the property at the time of the inspection, according to WTOC’s report.

contributed to this report.