Imagine the beginning of a zombie movie: a small town in South Carolina, and suddenly, over 40 rhesus monkeys are on the loose. It’s not fiction, though—this is actually happening in Yemassee. Police are on a mission to round up these monkeys, which escaped from a nearby lab. Residents have been warned to keep their doors and windows securely closed and to steer clear of the animals if they happen upon them. The good news? Authorities say there’s “no health risk associated with these animals.” The story broke Wednesday when the Yemassee Police Department posted on Facebook about the primate breakout. Somehow, 43 rhesus macaques slipped out of the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center, a lab that claims to offer the “highest quality nonhuman primate products and bio-research services.” As of Thursday morning, all 43 monkeys are still unaccounted for, with neither police nor lab staff able to track them down. While the lab is known for researching progressive brain disorders using monkeys, these escapees are apparently young females, each weighing about six pounds and too young to have been involved in any studies or carry any diseases. Nonetheless, police have cautioned residents against any friendly interactions. As they advised, “Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes. If you spot any of the escaped animals, please contact 911 immediately and refrain from approaching them.” This isn’t the first time Alpha Genesis has dealt with a primate escape. According to The Post and Courier in Beaufort County, the facility has faced multiple incidents since 2014, along with several USDA violations related to these incidents. To bring these monkeys back safely, Yemassee police have teamed up with the sheriff’s office, state wildlife authorities, and Alpha Genesis staff. They’re relying on traps and thermal imaging to locate the animals. No word yet if they’ll be calling in a mustachioed plumber in red overalls, though. The post South Carolina on Edge as 43 Lab Monkeys Escape appeared first on Anomalien.com.