43 primates on the loose in South Carolina town after escaping from research lab

Forty-three primates remain on the loose in a South Carolina town, two days after escaping from a research laboratory, authorities said Friday.

As of midday Friday, the monkeys "have not yet been re-captured and returned to their enclosures," a Yemassee Police Department spokesperson said in a statement.

Traps were being set around the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee, where the rhesus macaque monkeys escaped en masse from their enclosures around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

The animals have since been seen near the research center, according to the Yemassee police spokesperson.

"Current observations show the primates playfully exploring the perimeter fence of the facility, engaging with those still inside by cooing to them," the spokesperson said while urging the public to "stay clear of this area as Alpha Genesis works diligently to safely recover these animals and return them to their habitats unharmed."

The monkeys escaped when a new employee at the Alpha Genesis center left the door to their enclosure open, Yemassee Town Administrator Matthew Garnes said during a briefing Thursday with town officials.

Mia Mitchell, a resident of Yemassee, told ABC News she was driving home Wednesday evening when she saw one of the escaped primates running across a road.

"I thought my eyes were deceiving me and I was like, 'That couldn't be a monkey,'" Mitchell said.

Mitchell said she and her daughter immediately pulled over and stopped to get a closer look.

"I turned around and parked on the side of the road and it ran across the road toward a house and up a tree," Mitchell said. "I stood there and my daughter, she was jokingly saying, 'Here monkey, monkey!' And I was like, 'Girl, don't call that monkey.'"

Police officers were searching for the furry fugitives using thermal imaging cameras, according to the sheriff's office.

The primates, according to police, are all very young females weighing 6 to 7 pounds each. There is no public health threat, police said.

"The animals have never been used for testing due to their young age and size," the Yemassee Police Department said in a statement Thursday. "A spokesperson from Alpha Genesis can confirm that these animals are too young to carry diseases."

Police warned residents that the monkeys can act "skittish and any additional noise or movement could hinder their safe capture."

"Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes," the sheriff's office said. "If you spot any of the escaped animals, please contact 911 immediately and refrain from approaching them."

Police said they are working with staff of Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center to find the escapees.

Representatives of the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center could not be immediately reached for comment.

According to its website, Alpha Genesis "provides the highest quality nonhuman primate products and bio-research services worldwide," including serum, plasma, whole blood and tissue samples.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said in a social media post Thursday afternoon that she is looking into the escaped monkeys.

"We’re diligently gathering all relevant information to keep our constituents informed regarding the recent escape of primates from Alpha Genesis Inc. in Beaufort County," Mace said. "Our office has been in direct communication with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and is working closely with their team to monitor and assess the situation."