YEMASSEE, S.C. — Authorities announced Friday that the final four of 43 escaped rhesus macaque monkeys have been safely recaptured after spending two months roaming the woods near Yemassee, South Carolina. The monkeys, all females, endured a rare snowstorm and were eventually tempted back into captivity using peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
How the Escape Happened
The escape occurred on November 6 when an employee at Alpha Genesis, a facility that breeds monkeys for medical research, failed to properly secure the gates of their enclosure. Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, explained that all three gates and latches were unintentionally left unsecure, allowing the monkeys to make their getaway.
Known locally as the “monkey farm,” Alpha Genesis confirmed that the monkeys posed no risk to public health, a sentiment echoed by federal health officials and police.
Life on the Loose
During their time on the run, the rhesus macaques mostly stayed close to the facility, enduring South Carolina’s first snowfall in seven years, which accumulated up to 3 inches. Despite their time in the wild, the monkeys were recaptured in good health, according to a statement from Westergaard shared by Yemassee Police on social media.
The rhesus macaques, which weigh about 7 pounds (3 kilograms) and are roughly the size of a cat, were lured back using humane traps baited with food, including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and “monkey biscuits,” a high-protein Purina Monkey Chow designed for the species.
About Alpha Genesis and the Monkeys
Located about a mile from downtown Yemassee and 50 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, Alpha Genesis breeds rhesus macaques for sale to medical research facilities. These monkeys have been vital to scientific research since the late 1800s.
Rhesus macaques share about 93% of their DNA with humans and are believed to have split from a common ancestor with humans approximately 25 million years ago.
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