Monkeys escape from research lab in America
Police in South Carolina are searching for 43 monkeys that escaped from a research facility. The animals fled after a keeper had left their pen open. The rhesus macaque ‘fugitives’ fled from Alpha Genesis, a company that breeds primates for medical testing and research. They are believed to be on the loose in a part of the state known as the Lowcountry.
Authorities have advised residents to keep windows and doors securely closed and report any sightings immediately. The escaped monkeys are young females, according to the Yemassee Police Department.
The “skittish” group had been located by the company, police said, and “are working to entice them with food.”
“Please do not attempt to approach these animals under any circumstances,” the police added.
The statement also mentioned that traps were set in the are with police on-site using “thermal-imaging cameras in an attempt to locate” the monkeys.
The research company, police said, had told them that, because of their sizes, the monkeys had not been tested on and are too young to carry diseases.
This is not the first time that monkeys had escaped from the same facility. In 2016, 19 animals fled before being captured and returned about six hours later. Two years earlier, 26 primates escaped. Macaques are known for being aggressive as well as competitive. But the police confirmed that there is “almost no danger to the public.”
A zoo in Scotland reported a Japanese macaque escaping earlier this year. The animal named Honshu, was captured after five days by a drone, before being returned to the zoo.
Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.
