43 monkeys bred for medical research, escaped from a compound in South Carolina. So far, only one of them has been discovered, reported the Associated Press, quoted by BTA.
Many of the remaining monkeys are still a few meters away from the site and jumping its fence, police said in a statement.
The rhesus macaques escaped on Wednesday after an employee at the "Alpha Genesis" did not fully lock the door while feeding and checking on them, officials said.
Yesterday the monkeys explored the outer fence of the "Alpha Genesis" complex. and communicated with the monkeys inside. Today, the primates continued to communicate with their companions at the site, which is a positive sign, the police statement said.
The CEO of "Alpha Genesis" Greg Westergaard noted that efforts to rehome all the animals will continue throughout the weekend and for as long as necessary.
Monkeys are about the size of a cat. They are all female and weigh about 3 kilograms.
From Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and police said the monkeys do not pose a public health risk. The facility breeds the monkeys to sell to medical and other researchers.