YEMASSEE, S.C. — Yemassee police say they are working to locate over 40 primates that have escaped from a research facility.
Police say the 43 primates have escaped from the Alpha Genesis facility on Castle Hall Road in Yemassee. Police said they were Rhesus macaque primates. In an update Thursday, none had been captured.
According to the company's Facebook page, “Alpha Genesis provides mission-critical research and development support to the scientific community."
According to the Yemassee Police, traps have been set up around the area, and the police and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department are currently on-site utilizing thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the animals.
Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes.
Authorities ask anyone who sees the primates to not approach or attempt to interact with them. Instead, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Yemassee is a small town in Beaufort and Hampton counties in South Carolina's Lowcountry.