43 female rhesus macaques monkeys have broken out of a research facility in South Carolina, and are currently on the run, prompting the police to go on a chase in their pursuit. The monkeys escaped from their pens after it was left open at Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center on Castle Hall Road on November 6.
The center breeds primates to use as subjects during medical tests and research. None of the monkeys had been captured the following day, either. According to the BBC, the primates are running amok in the Lowcountry, and as per the Yemassee Police Department, each creature weighs about 7 lbs (3.2kg).
There has long been the belief that rhesus macaques monkeys are aggressive by nature. Supposedly, they pose a threat to humans and are difficult to handle. Furthermore, they are also difficult with their own kind. However, according to Viktor Reinhardt of the Animal Welfare Institute, there is little evidence to back these claims up.
Are rhesus macaques monkeys dangerous? Check out what one researcher has to say
According to Viktor Reinhardt, while the male rhesus macaques monkeys possess "razor-sharp dagger-like canines," and have the potential to inflict perilous wounds," it does not constitute the grounds to dub them "particularly aggressive by nature." Reinhardt believes that only the animals bred in captivity under poor management can make the monkeys aggressive.
In another such blog, he doubles down on his stance, noting that
"Captive rhesus macaques are not naturally aggressive, but poor husbandry and handling practices can trigger their aggression toward conspecifics and toward the human handler. The myth of the aggressive monkey probably is based on often not taking into account basic ethological principles when managing rhesus macaques in the research laboratory setting."
Police notes that the monkeys are a "skittish" group, Alpha Genesis CEO is hoping for a "happy ending"
According to the BBC, the police had located the "skittish" group, and by Thursday, were "working to entice them with food."
"Please do not attempt to approach these animals under any circumstances," the police warned.
Per a report published by Post and Courier, the company and police are working hand in hand to recapture the monkeys. Traps have been set and thermal imaging cameras are being equipped, Police Chief Gregory Alexander has revealed. A Facebook post from the police department reads:
"The Yemassee Police Department, in collaboration with Alpha Genesis, have initiated search teams to help locate the escaped primates. Alpha Genesis currently have eyes on the primates and are working to entice them with food."
Notably, police assert that the monkeys pose little threat or health risk to the public and, but "strongly advised" residents "to keep doors and windows securely closed to prevent the primates from entering homes." Officials are also calling on anyone who comes across the primates to call it in via 911, and to refrain from attempting to make contact or capture the primates themselves.
Alexander continued:
"Just don't try to take these things home or pet them. We're getting a lot of that on our social media. (Taking them) is a felony because they don't belong to you."
Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, noted that the debacle was "frustrating," and that heavy rainfall had impeded search and recovery efforts, BBC and Post and Courier reported.
"We are following our procedures, which include observation and also baiting have-a-heart traps. Hampered a bit by the rain as the monkeys are hunkered down."
He also conferred with CBS News, expressing that he was "hoping for a happy ending," and that the juvenile creatures would come back to the facility of their own accord. Per BBC, Westergaard revealed that the apes absconded after one of the keepers left the door cracked. He believed they were now "hanging out in the woods".
"It's really like follow-the-leader. You see one go and the others go. It was a group of 50, and 7 stayed behind and 43 bolted out the door. There are some little things to eat in the woods but no apples which are what they really like, so we are hoping that will draw them in the next day or two."
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According to Post and Courier, the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center is home to 6,701 primates. Notably, this isn't the first instance of primates absconding, as in 2016, 19 monkeys did the same. However, they were returned a few hours later.
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