Great monkey escape as 43 Brainiac primates flee facility to ‘hand around in the woods’

An army of Brainiac monkeys made a great escape from a research facility in South Carolina, darting into the nearby woods to “hang out” after the ringleader of the gang lead 42 others out of their cage.

The rhesus macaque fugitives fled from Alpha Genesis, a company that breeds primates for medical testing and research, after a keeper accidentally left their enclosure door open. Now, authorities in the Lowcountry region are on the hunt for the very clever missing primates.

Residents have been urged by the Yemassee Police Department to keep their doors and windows securely closed and to report any monkey sightings immediately. The escaped monkeys are young female macaques, each weighing about 7 pounds (3.2kg), and have been described as “skittish” by officials.

On Thursday, police confirmed research centre Alpha Genesis had located the group of escapees and was “working to entice them with food.” “Please do not attempt to approach these animals under any circumstances,” the police cautioned in their statement. They also noted that traps had been set in the area, and officers were on-site using thermal imaging cameras to track the monkeys.

According to the research company, the monkeys have not yet been tested on and are “too young to carry disease,” which has provided some relief to the concerned public. However, the CEO of Alpha Genesis, Greg Westergaard, said the situation is “frustrating” but remains optimistic, saying he is “hoping for a happy ending” and that the monkeys might eventually return to the facility on their own.

The escape happened on Wednesday when a door to their outdoor enclosure was left open. Westergaard described the scene, noting the monkeys quickly took advantage of the opportunity. “It’s really like follow-the-leader. You see one go and the others go,” he said. Of the group of 50, seven stayed behind while 43 bolted into the woods.

Westergaard added while there are some natural food sources in the woods, the monkeys particularly enjoy apples, which they will struggle to find. “There are some little things to eat in the woods but no apples, which is what they really like,” he explained. “So we are hoping that will draw them in the next day or two.”

Capturing the monkeys has proven challenging, partly due to inclement weather. Speaking to local publications Westergaard said: “Efforts were hampered a bit by the rain as the monkeys are hunkered down.”

This is not the first time the facility has experienced such an incident as in 2016 19 monkeys escaped but were returned within six hours. Two years before that, 26 primates had also made a break for it.

Yemassee, a small town 60 miles (100km) east of Charleston with a population of less than 1,100 residents, now finds itself at the centre of the search effort. Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who represents the area, tweeted that her office is “diligently gathering all relevant information to keep our constituents informed regarding the recent escape of primates”.

While macaques are generally known for being aggressive and competitive, Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander assured the public during a news conference that “there is almost no danger to the public”.

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