40 Monkeys Escape From South Carolina Research Facility

Forty monkeys have escaped from an Alpha Genesis facility in South Carolina, and the residents of the surrounding areas have been advised to stay home and lock all doors to prevent the free monkeys from breaking into their homes.

The monkeys escaped from the research facility in Yemassee, which is a small town 26 miles away from Beaufort. Interestingly, the local police department did not specify which monkeys escaped from the facility, which conducts research projects for the government, universities, and private clients.

Some of the monkey species that were held at the research facility included cynomolgus, rhesus, and capuchin monkeys.

Police try to capture the 40 monkeys that escaped

The Yemassee Police Department has announced that their strategy to seize the 40 jail-breaking monkeys includes setting up traps around the area and using thermal cameras to capture the animals.

Local law enforcement has also announced that they are working alongside Alpha Genesis lab personnel to re-capture the animals.

Efforts to capture 43 escaped monkeys continues in Yemassee, public asked to avoid Alpha Genesis facility https://t.co/YcoiMDn3gf

— Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, SC (@bcsopio) November 7, 2024

The police have issued a warning advising residents to restrain from approaching the monkeys. Residents have been advised to immediately call 911 if they detect any of the escaped animals.

Authorities have said public assistance to catch the escaped primates is appreciated

Besides the Yemassee Police Department, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office also said that assistance from the public is appreciated.

The monkey’s escape was first reported on Wednesday night, but it is still unclear how they were able to escape from the facility.

This research facility works with monkeys to carry out clinical trials in various areas. One of these areas is brain disease disorder treatments. Additionally, the facility has been described as “one of the largest and most comprehensive nonhuman primate facilities, designed specifically for monkeys, in the United States.”

Alpha Genesis currently has a contract with the United States federal government to run and manage a colony of 3,500 monkeys on Morgan Island near the coast of South Carolina in a facility creatively named Monkey Island.

This island in South Carolina has over 4000 Monkeys pic.twitter.com/Qjx7HcewCl

— Pastor Pate (@bunno333_) November 7, 2024

Local news media outlets such as The Post and The Courier newspaper in Beaufort County have also reported this 40-monkey escape from Alpha Genesis is not the first time monkeys have escaped the facility.

Both outlets reported that minor primate escapes happened in the area in May of this year and in 2016. In previous instances, 19 monkeys managed to escape from security at Alpha Genesis before they were eventually re-captured six hours later.