Dr. Noah Snyder-Mackler talks about how bad weather can affect a monkeys health and speed up their aging process.
YEMASSEE, S.C. – Four monkeys are still on the loose nearly two weeks after breaking free from a South Carolina research facility.
Police in Yemassee have been working closely with the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center to capture all 43 rhesus macaque monkeys that escaped on Nov. 6.
“More progress (Monday), two animals confirmed trapped, bringing the total to 39,” Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told police in a written update on social media.
The two females located Monday were said to be in good health, and the others captured continue to thrive, Westergaard notes.
“We believe the four monkeys remaining are probably all together either in the area adjacent to our property or somewhere else very close by,” he adds.
43 MONKEYS ESCAPE SOUTH CAROLINA RESEARCH FACILITY, PROMPTING WARNINGS TO RESIDENTS
Four monkeys are still on the loose nearly two weeks after breaking free from a South Carolina research facility.
(Yemassee Police Department)
The primates still at large are described as very young females weighing approximately 6-7 pounds. Due to their young age and size, the animals have never been used for testing. A spokesperson from Alpha Genesis confirmed to police that these monkeys are too young to carry disease.
“We want to assure the community that there is no health risk associated with these animals,” police said after the monkeys first escaped.
Police have warned members of the public not to approach, touch or feed the monkeys, and to call 911 for any sightings.
Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center’s website states that it has “one of the largest and most comprehensive nonhuman primate facilities, designed specifically for monkeys, in the United States.” It also oversees a colony of more than 3,000 monkeys on Morgan Island, known as Monkey Island, off the South Carolina coast.