COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — One of 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped from a compound in South Carolina has…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — One of 43 monkeys bred for medical research that escaped from a South Carolina compound has been found unharmed, officials said Saturday.
Many others are still within yards of the property, jumping over the establishment’s fence, police said in a statement.
Rhesus macaques I took a break for that Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee failed to fully lock a door while she was feeding and checking on them, officials said.
On Friday, the monkeys were exploring the outer fence of the Alpha Genesis complex and cooing at the monkeys inside. The primates continued to interact with their companions inside the facility on Saturday, which is a positive sign, according to the police statement.
Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said efforts to recover all animals would continue through the weekend and for as long as necessary, the release said.
The monkeys are about the size of a cat. They are all females weighing around 7 pounds (3 kilograms).
Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and police have all said the monkeys pose no risk to public health. The facility breeds monkeys to sell to medical researchers and others.
Alpha Genesis supplies primates for research worldwide at its Yemassee complex, about 50 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, according to its website.
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