City dwellers warned

Dozens of monkeys escape from research laboratory

According to US media reports, young rhesus monkeys are said to have escaped from the facility. (symbolic image)

(Bild: APA/dpa/Swen Pförtner)

43 rhesus monkeys have escaped from a research facility in the US state of South Carolina. Residents of the neighboring small town of Yemassee were warned about the escaped primates: they were urged to keep doors and windows closed to avoid unwelcome visitors.

The monkeys had escaped from the Alpha Genesis primate research facility, which is located around 40 kilometers from Yemassee. The police reported on Facebook that the monkeys have not yet been captured, but are said to still be in the vicinity of the research station. They are said to be interacting with the animals that are still behind the fences of the facility.

Police: monkeys can be "unpredictable"
"The primates are displaying calm and playful behavior, which is a positive sign," the executive said. Residents were asked not to approach the facility. The rhesus monkeys are "unpredictable", the police warned. Attempts are being made to lure the animals with food - Alpha Gene employees are involved in the attempts to capture the monkeys. 

The facility states on its website that it keeps Javan monkeys, rhesus monkeys and capuchin monkeys. According to Yemassee City Administrator Matt Garnes, "smaller breeds" have escaped. "We're not talking about Caesar from the Planet of the Apes," Garnes told the Guardian.

The police's post on the animal incident:

Monkeys are not believed to be disease carriers
According to the research facility, the animals do not pose a risk of disease transmission. The animals are 43 young females weighing a maximum of three kilograms and have not yet been tested. "A spokesperson for Alpha Genesis can confirm that these animals are too young to transmit disease," the police said in a statement.

The head of the facility had to admit that an animal keeper had not properly locked a door. "It kind of goes along the lines of 'follow the leader': first one goes and then everyone else goes," explained Greg Westergaard.