All the monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina research facility have been recaptured

The final holdouts of a group of monkeys that escaped from a research facility in South Carolina over two months ago have been safely recaptured, the Yemassee Police Department announced on Friday.

The final holdouts of a group of monkeys that escaped from a research facility in South Carolina over two months ago have been recaptured safely, the Yemassee Police Department announced on Friday. The 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped after a caretaker failed to secure doors. All are back at the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee. The last four, recaptured this week, “appear to be in good health,” Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said, according to police. The Alpha Genesis test facility specializes in nonhuman primate research for biomedical research. It is one of the largest primate facilities in the country designed specifically for monkeys, with over 100 acres of land for research and breeding, according to its website. In November, the police department said it believed the remaining group had likely remained together nearby. The recapture comes after the animals weathered a rare winter storm that brought snow. CNN has reached out to Alpha Genesis for comment. In a statement to police, Westergaard thanked the Yemassee community for its support, saying “It was a real team and community effort.” Police had advised those who encounter the missing monkeys to refrain from interacting with them and immediately call 911. The young primates – all females between 6 and 7 pounds – have never been used for testing and are too young to carry disease, police said.