Current:Home > Finance13 escaped monkeys still on the loose in South Carolina after 30 were recaptured -AssetLink
13 escaped monkeys still on the loose in South Carolina after 30 were recaptured
View
Date:2025-04-13 04:30:26
Police in South Carolina announced that five more monkeys that escaped from Alpha Genesis research facility in Yemassee have been recaptured, bringing the total number of monkeys caught to 30. Thirteen research monkeys still remain on the loose as of Monday evening.
Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told the police that all recovered primates appear to be in "good health."
"Efforts to safely capture the remaining primates will continue throughout the evening and as long as necessary," police said in their update, advising residents and the public to avoid the area and refrain from operating drones there "as they can startle the animals and cause further stress."
How did the monkeys escape from Alpha Genesis?
Forty-three rhesus macaques monkeys, described as "very young females weighing approximately 6 - 7 lbs," escaped from Alpha Genesis, a primate research facility in Yemassee, a small town about 60 miles west of Charleston, around 1 p.m. last Wednesday, according to the Yemassee Police Department. The primates escaped after a caretaker failed to secure the doors, Westergaard had earlier told the police department.
Since their escape, the monkeys were spotted in trees among the woods surrounding the 100-acre Alpha Genesis facility.
Authorities had managed to recover 25 of them between Saturday and Sunday as they hung out along the facility's fence line, where many had bedded down for sleep overnight, the police department said Sunday. The company, along with law enforcement, has been baiting the primates with food.
The monkeys that escaped have not yet been used for testing due to their size and young age, and do not pose a risk to the public since they are too young to carry disease, according to Alpha Genesis.
Still, the town’s 2,200 residents have been asked to keep their doors and windows closed. Anyone who spots the monkeys are warned against approaching the "skittish" animals and are asked to instead call 911, according to police.
Alpha Genesis:What is Alpha Genesis and what does it do?
Not first time monkeys escape Alpha Genesis
This is not the first time monkeys have escaped Alpha Genesis.
In 2016, 19 monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis and were captured almost six hours later, according to The Post and Courier.
Two years prior to that, 26 monkeys escaped in December 2014 and were recaptured within two days. The company was later fined $12,600 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failures to contain the animals.
Contributing: Ahjané Forbes, Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (466)
Related
- Giants, Lions fined $200K for fights in training camp joint practices
- Chicago man pleads guilty in shooting of three undercover federal officers
- Von Miller still 'part of the team' and available to play vs Chiefs, Bills GM says
- Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot indicted on 84 charges in alleged attempt to shut down plane's engines mid-flight
- Michigan lawmaker who was arrested in June loses reelection bid in Republican primary
- Jennifer Lopez Flaunts Her Figure With a Cropped, Underboob-Baring Breastplate Top
- Kids used sharp knives, power equipment: California poultry plant to pay $3.5M fine
- British government plans to ignore part of UK’s human rights law to revive its Rwanda asylum plan
- US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas
- Bills GM says edge rusher Von Miller to practice and play while facing domestic violence charge
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- A former Ukrainian lawmaker who fled to Russia found shot dead outside of Moscow
- Environmentalists say Pearl River flood control plan would be destructive. Alternative plans exist
- Legal battle brewing between coffee brands by Taylor Sheridan, Cole Hauser of 'Yellowstone'
- A Georgia governor’s latest work after politics: a children’s book on his cats ‘Veto’ and ‘Bill’
- Queens man indicted on hate crime charges in attack on Jewish tourist in Times Square
- Shannen Doherty Details Heartbreaking Moment She Believed She Wouldn't Survive Cancer Battle
- Reba McEntire roots for her bottom 4 singer on 'The Voice': 'This is a shame'
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
4 GOP candidates to meet on stage today for fourth presidential debate
48 Haitian migrants have been detained on an uninhabited island west of Puerto Rico
A Year in Power: Malaysian premier Anwar searches for support as frustration rises over slow reform
Jury selection set for Monday for ex-politician accused of killing Las Vegas investigative reporter
How to keep dust mites away naturally to help ease your allergies
Republican prosecutor will appeal judge’s ruling invalidating Wisconsin’s 174-year-old abortion ban
Lupita Nyong'o and Joshua Jackson Fuel Romance Rumors With Latest Outing