Twenty-four female monkeys bred for medical research were recovered unharmed after the escape of some 43 animals from a complex in South Carolina.
More than half of the female monkeys bred for medical research that escaped from a South Carolina compound last week have been recovered unharmed, authorities reported Sunday.
Twenty-four female monkeys were captured on Sunday, a day after another of the 43 escaped monkeys was recovered.
A “sizable group” remains active along the complex's fence line and settled in trees for the night, police in Yemassee, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Savannah, said in a statement. , Georgia.
Veterinarians have been examining the animals and initial reports indicate they are all in good health, police said.
Female rhesus macaques went on the run Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee did not fully close a door while feeding and checking them, authorities said.
Since their escape, the monkeys have explored the outer fence of the Alpha Genesis complex, making sounds to the monkeys inside. The primates continued to interact with their peers inside the facility on Saturday, which police have said was a positive sign.
Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard has said efforts to recover all the monkeys will continue as long as necessary.
The monkeys are the size of a cat. They are all females that weigh around 3 kilograms.
Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and police have said the monkeys pose no risk to public health. The facility raises the monkeys to sell to medical and other researchers.
Alpha Genesis provides primates for research worldwide at its complex in Yemassee, according to its website.