Escaped Monkeys Spotted in South Carolina

Survey worker alerts research facility

Monkeys missing from facility for two weeks

Moncks Corner, S.C. - A survey worker alerted a research facility that he spotted 4 rhesus macaque monkeys roaming near a highway in rural South Carolina, and the animals were safely recovered.

The four escaped monkeys are part of a larger group of about 40 primates that are used for research at the University of South Carolina's Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory in Columbia.

The monkeys escaped from their cages at the lab on March 22 and have been on the loose ever since.

The survey worker spotted the monkeys near a highway in Moncks Corner about 30 miles north of Charleston. He called the university's research facility, which sent out a team to capture the animals.

The monkeys were safely captured and returned to the lab, where they are being held in quarantine.

The university is investigating how the monkeys escaped and is taking steps to prevent it from happening again.