Good morning, South Carolina. There are monkeys on the loose in your state.
Indeed, as the Yemassee Police Department said in its latest update, 40 monkeys have escaped from the Alpha Genesis research facility. Per messaging on its official site, Alpha Genesis is “the world’s premier provider of the finest nonhuman primate products and services.” The company’s research work is listed as encompassing participation from “Cynomolgous, Rhesus and Capuchin monkeys for government, university, and private industry clients.”
In its initial statement, the Yemassee Police Department said that officers were working with company personnel to resolve the issue of the escaped monkeys. Police also advised residents in the area to avoid approaching or interacting with the monkeys in question, noting that locals should instead go the 911 route. An update shared Wednesday night got a bit more specific, with police confirming that 40 monkeys had escaped from the facility.
“Traps have been set up around the area, and the Yemassee Police Department is currently on site utilizing thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the animals,” police said, adding that residents are “strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured.”
It’s unclear, at least as of this writing, how, exactly, the monkeys were able to escape. At any rate, it is this writer’s opinions that monkeys, generally speaking, are awesome. Furthermore, they are very much in need of human assistance and protection.
Complex has reached out to Alpha Genesis reps for comment. This story may be updated.
