YEMASSEE, S.C. — As of early Monday, six monkeys remain unaccounted for after a significant escape from a South Carolina breeding facility that serves the medical research community. This incident occurred earlier this month, and authorities are actively working to locate the remaining animals.

On Sunday, two Rhesus macaques were successfully captured outside the Alpha Genesis facility, which is located in Yemassee. This brings the total number of recovered monkeys to 37 out of the 43 that initially escaped, as stated by Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard in a message shared by Yemassee Police on social media.

Westergaard noted that the two monkeys that were recaptured on Sunday were both evaluated and found to be in “excellent condition.” He was personally present during their recovery and stated, “I can assure you that their spirits were high and they displayed all the signs of being happy, well-adjusted monkeys.” He expressed satisfaction that those recovered thus far are so healthy and show no negative effects from their time outdoors.

On Sunday afternoon, two additional monkeys were spotted near the traps, prompting Alpha Genesis to plan for an extensive trapping operation starting before dawn on Monday, which will continue throughout the day.

The escape incident occurred on November 6 when an employee failed to securely lock the enclosure at what is informally known as “the monkey farm,” leading to the escape of the monkeys. Alpha Genesis has pledged to keep up recovery efforts for as long as needed at their location, roughly one mile from downtown Yemassee and about 50 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia.

Each monkey is comparable in size to an average cat, all being female and weighing around 7 pounds. Rhesus macaques have a long history of use in scientific research, dating back to the late 1800s. Scientists believe that these monkeys and humans diverged from a shared ancestor approximately 25 million years ago and approximately 93% of their DNA is similar.

According to Alpha Genesis, federal health officials, and police, these monkeys do not pose a threat to public health. The breeding facility focuses on supplying these monkeys to medical institutions and other research entities. In the event that people come across any of the escaped monkeys, they are advised to maintain a safe distance and to avoid flying drones in the area, as these animals tend to be skittish and may flee if disturbed.