Monkeys Evade Capture After Escape From Research Facility, Attempt to Contact Monkeys Still Trapped Inside

Well, that's heartbreaking.

Macaque Mayhem

Officials are still struggling to recapture monkeys that escaped a research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina, last week — and have even made efforts to contact monkeys still inside, officials say.

According to the Associated Press, as of Monday afternoon, 13 out of the 43 young female Rhesus macaques remain on the loose in the forested area surrounding the facility run by Alpha Genesis, one of the largest monkey breeders in the world.

The animals escaped because their keepers left the doors to their enclosures open. Fortunately, the 30 monkeys that have been recaptured so far are in good health, according to the report.

While it might sound like the beginning of a zombie flick, officials have said that the macaques are "too young to carry disease."

"We want to assure the community that there is no health risk associated with these animals," the police confirmed shortly after the monkeys escaped last week.

Prison Break

Alpha Genesis has vowed to continue its efforts to snap up the remaining 13 animals, attempting to lure the fugitives back with food.

Heartbreakingly, many of the escaped macaques have remained close to the facility, which is roughly 50 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia — and according to the AP, they've been cooing at the other monkeys that remain locked up.

Bafflingly, it's not the first monkey prison break at the Alpha Genesis facility. In 2019, a total of 19 monkeys broke free but were recaptured within just six hours — not four days.

More on the saga: Monkeys That Escaped Research Facility Still on the Loose, Authorities Say