In a strange incident that has left authorities and residents on high alert, at least 43 Rhesus macaque monkeys broke out of the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee, South Carolina, late on Wednesday. The quaint town, with its humble rural character, found itself at the center of a weird saga that has become the talk of the locals. Witnesses described how the agile animals scurried across trees and fields, sending shock waves through the community. They described amazement, intrigue, and fear that the escaped primates disappeared deep into the woods.
This breakout happened after an apparent delineation in protocol; a worker at the research facility had left the enclosure’s door open during cleaning. While the equipment has stringent security measures in place, such carelessness provided the monkeys with an unplanned window of liberation.
“These incidents, while rare, remind us of the human element in any setting,”
One employee at the center who spoke on anonymity said,
“Everyone has procedures to follow, but mistakes happen. We’re just focused now on bringing them back safely.”
Local authorities, animal control teams, and specialized wranglers have mounted a search to track the wayward primates. As of Thursday evening, the monkeys were still at large, spurring a flurry of activities in which officials deployed traps and used thermal imaging cameras to scan the area. Search crews face rough conditions: the region’s heavy vegetation and the animals’ agility are quite high-order challenges.
“The terrain, the number of places they could be hiding- those are the things that make it a little tricky,”
Yemassee Police Chief Harold Grayson said,
“but we’re doing everything we can to round them up.”.
Officials have issued a safety advisory for residents in the area, encouraging all to take precautions and be on the lookout.
“We’re asking residents to keep doors and windows securely closed,”
the police chief added,
“as one never knows when a monkey might just come through the door.”
“If you see one, don’t approach it, but call 911 immediately.”
The local authorities reiterated that the monkeys have only demonstrated friendly natures, although untrained individuals should avoid them altogether. The weird breakout has also prompted anyone to relate it to the original film franchise, Planet of the Apes, where intelligent primates plot outhwisting human beings.
Though the plot line doesn’t have much in common with the current situation, residents of Yemassee and social media have run parallel. “It’s like a scene out of a movie! quipped one resident on social media, posting a photo of a backyard “booby trap” set up to keep its curious monkeys out. Local authorities, however, assured residents that the monkeys in question were neither highly intelligent nor a threat to public order.
