The last 4 monkeys that escaped in South Carolina have been captured

Nearly three months after 43 monkeys escaped from a research facility in a heavily wooded area of ​​South Carolina, the last four missing monkeys have been captured, ending the saga adapted from the Disney movie or science fiction.

In the two weeks after they escaped from the enclosure on November 6, 2024, when a guard failed to close the shelter door, 39 of the monkeys, a species called rhesus macaques, was captured and returned safely to the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee, SC, about 60 miles west of Charleston.

But the four wanderers continued to wander for weeks and battle through dense forests and rare snow before they were found and captured in good health, said Greg Westergaard, chief executive. Alpha Genesis Inc., on Friday in a social media post from Yemassee. Police Department.

Mr. Westergaard called it “a true team and community effort.” When, where and how were the last four monkeys caught? Alpha Genesis and police did not immediately return emails and phone calls Friday night seeking additional information.

Rhesus macaques, which weigh six to seven pounds, are often used in experiments. Alpha Genesis cares about them and works with clients who want to conduct research on primates, according to its website.

After the 43 monkeys escaped, the community in the neighborhood was asked not to approach or try to contact them, but to call the authorities. Bait traps were set and proved to be effective. Many of the monkeys were found in or near traps, police said.

Alpha Genesis reported that the monkeys captured in mid-November are in good health. They ate butter and jelly sandwiches and danced and ran in trees, the company said.

The rebel monkeys could be heard talking to each other. But it’s not the first time animals have escaped from Alpha Genesis, which sits on about 100 acres and is home to about 7,000 monkeys for scientific research. The Department of Agriculture issued more than $12,000 in fines in 2017 due to animal deficiencies.

“We are no stranger to random monkeys,” said David Paul Murray, a member of the Yemassee City Council. “It’s something you don’t really think about until someone runs down the street and says, ‘Wait, what?'”

Teddy Rosenbluth SY Sarah Ruberg contributed to the report.