25 monkeys recovered after dozens escape in South Carolina. Others are ‘jumping back and forth’ near the research facility

By Graham Hurley, CNN

(CNN) — Monkey mayhem continues as 18 primates remain on the loose from a research facility in South Carolina.

On Wednesday, 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee.

The Yemassee Police Department announced Sunday afternoon that nearly half of the missing monkeys have been successfully returned unharmed. However, a “sizable group remains active along the fence line and at this time have bedded down in the trees for the night,” police said in a statement.

Veterinarians who have conducted wellness exams on the recovered monkeys have reported that they are all in good health, according to police.

On Saturday, the Yemassee Police Department said “a significant number of the remaining primates are still located just a few yards from the property, jumping back and forth over the facility’s fence.”

The loose primates continue to interact with their encaged counterparts inside the facility. The update does not clarify whether the facility has eyes on all of the runaway animals.

Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told police Saturday recovery efforts will continue “for as long as it takes,” the statement said.

Police said Friday that Alpha Genesis staff and management were on site feeding and monitoring the animals at the perimeter of the facility.

Westergaard expressed optimism regarding the monkeys’ behavior Friday, according to police. The facility is using “Have a Heart” traps, which are designed in a humane way with a trap door.

The Alpha Genesis test facility specializes in nonhuman primate research for the biomedical research community. 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 purposes, according to its website.

The runaway primates have been seen “playfully exploring the perimeter fence of the facility, engaging with those still inside by cooing to them,” police said Friday. The monkeys are “exhibiting calm and playful behavior, which is a positive indication,” police said.

Police strongly urged residents to stay away from the facility’s perimeter, where the runaway primates have been seen, because the animals “can be easily startled.”

“They are described as being very skittish and will congregate in groups,” Yemassee Town Administrator Matthew Garnes told CNN. The monkeys are nonviolent, but may be growing restless due to hunger, he said.

Residents have been asked to keep doors and windows closed to prevent the monkeys from entering their homes. Police advised those who encounter the missing monkeys to refrain from interacting with them and immediately call 911. The young primates – all female and between 6 to 7 pounds – have never been used for testing and are too young to carry disease, police said.

This is not South Carolina’s first rodeo with monkeys on the loose. The Post and Courier in Beaufort County reported that 19 monkeys escaped from the same facility in 2016, but they were returned after six hours.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Jillian Sykes contributed to this report.