All 43 research monkeys He escaped from the South Carolina facility In November, the Yemassee Police Department was safely restored.
The apes escaped from the Alpha Genesis facility after the caretaker failed to properly secure the door, and ended up in a wooded area surrounding the facility. It’s not clear where the primates wandered before they were all found.
Nearby residents were urged to lock windows and doors at that time, and to call 911 if they spotted any of the primates.
“These animals are very sensitive and easily startled, we recommend that the public avoid the area to prevent scaring them further,” police said at the time.
Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said the recovered monkeys are “doing well,” according to police.
“It was a real team and community effort,” Westergaard said of the primate hunt.
The monkeys are all very small females weighing 6 to 7 pounds, according to police. Alpha Genesis conducts medical research for a range of clients for several conditions, including brain disorders.
Kathleen Conley, vice president of animal research issues for the nonprofit Humane Society of the United States, says she’s concerned about what will happen to the animals next.
“The reality is that this means they are either sent to a laboratory for a lifetime of suffering and eventual death or used as breeders and their offspring are taken from them to that fate,” Conley said.
Connelly said the humane community was determined to move away from the ape breeding and testing system, to “more effective techniques based on human biology that do not involve animal suffering.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
