YEMASSEE, South Carolina — Over 40 monkeys that escaped a research facility three months ago have all been recovered and are safe.
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On Nov. 6, 43 rhesus macaques escaped from the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, our sister station WSB-TV reported.
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An employee reportedly didn’t close the doors in the area where the animals were kept after feeding them.
“My understanding is that immediately after the incident occurred, the employee’s supervisor approached her and stated that she could be terminated if it was determined that there was no structural failure which led to the escape,” the facility’s CEO Greg Westergaard said. “I am told at that point the employee walked off the job and has not returned.”
The facility and the community have slowly been recovering the monkeys in the three months since they escaped, WSB-TV reported.
Now, all of the monkeys are back at the facility and appear to be in good health, according to Westergaard. He thanked the community for their help and support.
“It was a real team and community effort,” Westergaard said.
Police, federal health officials, and Alpha Genesis all said that the monkeys posed no risk to public health.
The monkeys are bred by the facility to sell to medical facilities and other researchers, WSB-TV reported.
Monkeys have been used for scientific research since the late 1800s.
It is believed that humans and rhesus macaques split from a common ancestry and share about 93% of the same DNA.
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