More than 40 monkeys escaped from a research facility in a small town in South Carolina after an employee reportedly failed to secure an enclosure properly.
The 43 rhesus macaques fled from the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee on Wednesday, as confirmed in a police statement released the following day.
Police reported that the escaped monkeys were all female, each weighing around 3 kg (6.6 pounds), and were considered too small and young for research purposes. Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander reassured the public on Thursday that the monkeys were not carrying any diseases and posed "almost no danger" to the community, describing them as "harmless" but somewhat nervous.
The Alpha Genesis facility has deployed traps and thermal imaging cameras in an effort to recapture the animals. "The handlers are familiar with them and typically can lure them back with fruit or a small treat," Alexander added.
Police have advised residents of the town, which has a population of around 2,000, to keep doors and windows "securely closed," report any monkey sightings right away, and avoid approaching the animals "under any circumstances."
Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, which supplies primates for global research, expressed hope for a "happy ending" with the monkeys returning on their own. Speaking to CBS News, he described their escape as a "follow-the-leader" situation, where one monkey leads, and the others follow.
However, this wasn't the first escape from the lab. In 2018, federal authorities fined Alpha Genesis $12,600 after several primates broke free, and there were other incidents in 2014 and 2016, with a total of 45 monkeys escaping over the years.
In response to the latest escape, the group Stop Animal Exploitation Now sent a letter to the US Department of Agriculture, urging the agency to immediately dispatch an inspector to the Alpha Genesis facility for a thorough investigation.
In a letter, Michael Budkie, executive director of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, wrote that the "clear negligence" that allowed the 40 monkeys to escape not only jeopardized the safety of the animals but also posed a risk to the residents of South Carolina.
(Source: Al-Jazeera)
BD-Pratidin English/Mazdud
