25 escaped monkeys of 43 are captured in South Carolina

Twenty-five of the 43 monkeys that escaped an enclosure at a South Carolina research center were captured Saturday and Sunday while the rest remain at large, officials said.

Dozens of rhesus macaques made a break for it Wednesday after a caretaker at the research center, Alpha Genesis, failed to latch the door behind her after feeding the 50 monkeys and cleaning their enclosure.

Police in Yemassee, about 60 miles west of Charleston, said on Facebook Sunday that 24 monkeys recovered Sunday by Alpha Genesis. One monkey was caught on Saturday. It was not clear where the monkeys were captured.

Based on initial reports, veterinarians said the recovered monkeys were in good health, according to the Facebook post. Police added that a large group of the escaped monkeys remain along the research center's fence line.

The Facebook post, quoting Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, said that the "recovery process is slow, but the team is committed to taking as much time as necessary to safely recover all remaining animals."

Alpha Genesis houses about 7,000 primates for biomedical studies and other scientific research.

The police warned the public not to get near the animals and not to get too close to the research center, which is on 100 acres and surrounded by woods where some of the monkeys have been spotted in trees.

The Facebook post also urged residents not to fly drones in the area.

"A recent incident involving a drone led to the primates becoming spooked, which not only increased their stress but also complicated efforts for their safe return," the post said.

There is no risk to public health because the animals are too young to carry disease, according to Alpha Genesis.

Gregory Alexander, the town's police chief, said it's unlikely that the monkeys would be aggressive toward humans, though they are skittish. Each weighs 6 to 7 pounds.

The research center is using humane traps and fresh fruit and vegetables to bait the monkeys, which is an effective lure because the domesticated animals cannot easily find food in the wild. A couple of the escapees entered the traps but did not go in far enough to make the doors close, police said.

The town's 2,200 residents have been asked to keep their doors and windows closed, and to call the police if they spot a monkey.

This is not the first time the town has dealt with escaped monkeys from Alpha Genesis.

In 2014, 26 monkeys escaped and were recaptured within two days. In 2017, the company was fined $12,600 by the US Department of Agriculture for that episode and other failures to contain the animals.