Monkeys That Escaped Research Facility Still on the Loose, Authorities Say

2(8) Days Later

On Wednesdady, news emerged that over 40 research monkeys had broken free from a research facility in South Carolina.

The local Yemassee Police Department confirmed that a total of 43 macaques had escaped from a facility run by Alpha Genesis, one of the largest monkey breeders in the world — because their keepers forgot to keep doors to their enclosures shut.

And according to the latest reports, the monkeys still on the run in the forested region surrounding the facility near Yamassee, South Carolina.

Law enforcement told USA Today on Friday that while the furry rascals have since been located, recapturing them may prove difficult.

Footage obtained by the Daily Mail reportedly shows the monkeys scuttling off into the nearby woods.

Fortunately, the situation is unlikely to turn into a "28 Days Later"-like apocalypse, because the six-to-seven-pound females are "too young to carry disease," as an Alpha Genesis spokesperson told police, per USA Today.

"We want to assure the community that there is no health risk associated with these animals," the police confirmed on Wednesday.

Human Error

According to the report, Alpha Genesis staff are "attempting to entice the animals back using food."

Unsurprisingly, authorities are also advising local residents from approaching the animals or interacting with them in any way.

"These animals are highly sensitive and easily startled," the Yemassee Police Department said in a statement. "The public is advised to avoid the area as these animals are described as skittish and any additional noise or movement could hinder their safe capture."

"The incident yesterday involved a new enclosure, and occurred because the caretaker who was doing routine cleaning and feeding failed to secure two separate," Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told NBC. "It was purely human error."

It's not even the first time monkeys have escaped from the same Alpha Genesis facility. In 2016, 19 of the animals slipped free — but were promptly returned just six hours later.

More on the situation: Police Warn Homeowners to Lock Down Houses as Dozens of Monkeys Escape Research Facility