40 apes escape medical lab in US

(MENAFN) Forty monkeys have escaped from a medical research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, prompting local authorities to issue a warning to residents. The primates fled from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center, located about 60 miles southwest of Charleston, on Wednesday. Authorities are actively working to locate the animals, using thermal imaging cameras and setting up traps around the area. Residents are advised to keep their doors and windows secured to prevent the monkeys from entering homes.

Alpha Genesis breeds monkeys for medical research, including clinical trials for various diseases, though it is unclear whether the escaped animals were test subjects or could carry infectious diseases. The authorities are urging extreme caution, advising anyone who spots a monkey to avoid direct contact and instead call law enforcement.

This incident marks the second mass escape of monkeys from Alpha Genesis in less than a decade. In 2016, 19 monkeys escaped for several hours before being recaptured. The facility also operates a large monkey colony, known as ‘Monkey Island,’ under contract with the US government.

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