More than 40 monkeys on the loose in US town after escaping lab

Police picture escapees, who are not carrying disease, arsenic ‘harmless and a small skittish’, posing ‘almost nary threat to public’.

More than 40 monkeys escaped from a investigation laboratory successful a mini municipality successful nan United States aft an worker grounded to decently unopen an enclosure.

The 43 rhesus macaque monkeys fled from nan Alpha Genesis installation successful Yemassee, South Carolina, connected Wednesday, according to a constabulary connection issued nan pursuing day.

Police said nan monkeys were each females weighing astir 3kgs (6.6 pounds), excessively mini and young to beryllium utilized for testing.

“They are not infected pinch immoderate illness whatsoever. They are harmless and a small skittish,” said Yemassee Police Chief Gregory Alexander connected Thursday, emphasising that they posed “almost nary threat to nan public”.

Alpha Genesis group up traps and was utilizing thermal imaging cameras to recapture nan monkeys connected nan run. “The handlers cognize them good and usually tin get them backmost pinch consequence aliases a small treat,” said Alexander.

Police urged residents of nan town, which has a organization of astir 2,000, to support their doors and windows “securely closed”, study immoderate sightings instantly and refrain from approaching nan monkeys “under immoderate circumstances”.

Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, which provides primates for investigation worldwide, told CBS News he was “hoping for a happy ending” pinch nan primates returning of their ain volition.

“It’s really for illustration follow-the-leader. You spot 1 spell and nan others go,” he said of their escape.

However, this was not nan first breakout from nan lab. In 2018, national officials fined Alpha Genesis $12,600 aft dozens of primates escaped. There were different escapes successful 2014 and 2016, pinch a full of 45 monkeys fleeing.

The group Stop Animal Exploitation Now sent a missive to nan US Department of Agriculture asking nan agency to instantly nonstop an inspector to nan Alpha Genesis installation and to behaviour a thorough investigation.

“The clear carelessness which allowed these 40 monkeys to flight endangered not only nan information of nan animals, but besides put nan residents of South Carolina astatine risk,” wrote Michael Budkie, nan executive head of nan group, successful a letter.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies