The escape occurred when a staff member at a research facility inadvertently left an enclosure unlocked. One monkey was captured on Saturday, followed by an additional twenty-four on Sunday; however, the remaining monkeys are still at large.

Twenty-five of the 43 monkeys that escaped an enclosure at a research facility in South Carolina were captured over the weekend, while the remaining monkeys are still at large, according to officials.

A group of rhesus macaques escaped on Wednesday after a caretaker at Alpha Genesis inadvertently left a door unlatched following the feeding and cleaning of the enclosure.

The police in Yemassee, located approximately 60 miles west of Charleston, reported via Facebook on Sunday that 24 monkeys were captured that day, with one monkey being retrieved on Saturday. The specific locations of the captures were not disclosed.

Initial reports indicated that the recovered monkeys are in good health, as noted in the Facebook post. Law enforcement stated that a significant number of the escaped monkeys continue to be sighted along the research center's perimeter.

In a statement from Greg Westergaard, the chief executive of Alpha Genesis, the post emphasized 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 is home to approximately 7,000 primates used for biomedical studies and other scientific research.

Authorities have advised the public to avoid approaching the monkeys and to refrain from getting too close to the research center, which spans 100 acres and is surrounded by wooded areas where some monkeys have been observed in trees.

The post also cautioned residents against flying drones in the vicinity, noting that a previous incident involving a drone had startled the primates, thereby increasing their stress levels and complicating recovery efforts.

Alpha Genesis has assured the community that there is no risk to public health, as the animals are too young to carry diseases.

Police Chief Gregory Alexander stated that while it is improbable that the monkeys would display aggression towards humans, they are skittish. Each monkey weighs between six and seven pounds.

The research center is employing humane traps and utilizing fresh fruits and vegetables as bait, which serve as effective lures due to the domesticated nature of the animals, making it difficult for them to find food in the wild. Some escapees have entered the traps but have not gone in far enough to trigger the closing mechanism, according to the police.

Residents of the town, numbering around 2,200, have been urged to keep their doors and windows closed and to contact the police if they encounter a monkey.

This incident is not unprecedented; in 2014, 26 monkeys escaped and were recaptured within two days. In 2017, Alpha Genesis faced a fine of $12,600 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to that incident and other failures to contain the animals.

                                                                             'The End '