(This
has been updated with new information.)
YEMASSEE, SC — None of the 43 monkeys that escaped the facility last week have been captured, police announced recently. However, that does not mean that authorities are idle.
To the contrary, authorities have set traps and are constantly fending off jokes about legends which abound about rogue, runaway primates at the "Yemassee monkey farm," unamused police report.
Many locals can't drive by the facility without teasing authorities by asking, ”Wanna stop and say hello to your relatives?" And another quip, saying, ”If you kids don't quiet down back there I'm going to put you out here with the rest of the monkeys!"
But escaped monkeys are no joke in Hampton and Beaufort counties this week, as local police and town officials alerted the public about approximately 40 primates that escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center Wednesday night.
Yemassee Town Administrator Matt Garnes told The Hampton County Guardian that the escape occurred around 9 p.m. Wednesday and news of the mischievous monkeys was posted shortly after on the Facebook pages of the Yemassee Police Department and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.
"These are the smaller type of breeds," said Garnes, "We're not talking about Caesar of the Planet of the Apes. But if you spot any primates, don't approach or try to interact with them, or feed them, call 911."
The center houses, at two sites, approximately 5,000 monkeys from Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Species include marmosets, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, African Greens, and several New World species.
The primates escaped from the site on Castle Hall Road, which is in Beaufort County, but Alpha Genesis also has a site in Hampton County. Garnes added that the YPD, BCSO, and Alpha Genesis are working together to corral these strays.
The YPD informed citizens Thursday morning that traps have been set around the area, and the YPD is currently on-site utilizing thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the animals. The rainy weather is hampering their efforts, however.
"Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes," warns the YPD. "If you spot any of the escaped animals, please contact 911 immediately and refrain from approaching them. We appreciate your patience and cooperation, further updates will be released as they become available.”
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