There are still bananas!
dozens of monkeys that escaped from a medical research center Officials said people were still on the lam Friday in South Carolina — with some spots hanging on nearby trees — because a worker left their enclosure door open.
A total of 43 furry fugitives broke out of the Alpha Genesis lab in Yamasi on Thursday and had been chasing it across the countryside for more than 24 hours, according to police, who urged neighbors to keep their distance.
Some female rhesus monkeys – who weigh about six pounds and eat fruits and insects – were seen frolicking on the roof of a warehouse and gathering next to a local food pantry. WSAV.com
Lab CEO Greg Westergaard said the primates were freed Thursday morning when a worker cleaning their enclosure left the door partially open.
“Yesterday’s incident involved a new enclosure, and it happened because the caretaker who was carrying out routine cleaning and feeding failed to secure two separate doors. It was pure human error,” Westergaard said. nbc news,
None of the monkeys had been captured as of Friday afternoon, but Westergaard said the animals were likely to return on their own.
The center told police that the monkeys were too small to spread the disease — though it was not immediately clear whether they were unable to cope with the disease or were simply not exposed to any disease during clinical trials.
Nevertheless, police warned locals not to approach the primates.
“These animals are highly sensitive and easily startled, we recommend that the public stay away from the area to prevent further scaring them,” Yemassee police said in a statement.
“They are not infected with any kind of disease. “They are harmless and a little timid,” Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander said Thursday morning.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2022, 11 monkeys escaped from the same research center through a broken chain link fence.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)Animals(T)Survival(T)Monkeys
