A dozen and a half monkeys are still on the loose in South Carolina after a dramatic escape last week from a research facility.
The 43 female rhesus macaques broke free from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee, S.C., last Wednesday. Police describe the animals as very young and weighing between 6 and 7 pounds.
“As of 5 PM today, Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard has confirmed the successful recovery of an additional 24 primates, bringing the number recovered to 25,” the Yemassee Police Department wrote in a weekend statement.
Despite the time the monkeys spent in the wild, Yemassee police say the animals are in good health.
“A sizable group remains active along the fence line and at this time have bedded down in the trees for the night,” the police said in a statement Sunday night. The monkeys have been jumping back and forth over the facility’s fence, The Associated Press reported.
The monkeys had never been used for testing due to their young age, and they’re too young to carry diseases, police have said. According to its website, Alpha Genesis breeds and researches primates for purposes including vaccine development and experimental surgical procedures.
Westergaard told CBS News last week that a caretaker had accidentally left a door to the enclosure unsecured. The ensuing escape, he said, was like an all-too-literal version of monkey see, monkey do.
“It’s really like follow-the-leader. You see one go and the others go,” Westergaard said. “It was a group of 50 and seven stayed behind and 43 bolted out the door.”
Even though he called the escape “frustrating,” Westergaard said he hoped the monkeys would ultimately return home of their own free will.
Police have urged residents to avoid the area and refrain from using drones to try to spot the creatures.