43 primates on the loose in South Carolina town after escaping from research lab

At least 43 primates were on the loose Thursday in a South Carolina town where authorities "strongly advised" residents to keep their doors and windows locked after the animals escaped from a research laboratory.

"At this point, none have been captured," the Yemassee Police Department said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Traps were being set around the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee, where the Rhesus Macaque monkeys escaped en masse from their enclosures around 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

Yemassee Town Administrator Matthew Garnes said during a briefing Thursday with town officials that the monkeys escaped when a new employee at the Alpha Genesis center left the door to their enclosure open.

Police officers were searching for the furry fugitives using thermal imaging cameras, according to the sheriff's office.

The primates, according to police, are all very young females weighing 6 to 7 pounds each.

"The animals have never been used for testing due to their young age and size," the Yemassee Police Department said in a statement Thursday. "A spokesperson from Alpha Genesis can confirm that these animals are too young to carry diseases."

Police warned residents that the monkeys can act "skittish and any additional noise or movement could hinder their safe capture."

"Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes," the sheriff's office said. "If you spot any of the escaped animals, please contact 911 immediately and refrain from approaching them."

Police said they are working with staff of Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center to find the escapees.

In his update Thursday, Garnes told town officials that police do not believe the animals have gotten far from the research center, according to ABC affiliate station WCVI in Charleston, South Carolina.

Representatives of the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center could not be immediately contacted for comment.

According to its website, Alpha Genesis "provides the highest quality nonhuman primate products and bio-research services world-wide," including serum, plasma, whole blood and tissue samples.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, said in a social media post Thursday afternoon that she is looking into escaped monkeys.

"We’re diligently gathering all relevant information to keep our constituents informed regarding the recent escape of primates from Alpha Genesis Inc. in Beaufort County," Mace said. "Our office has been in direct communication with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and is working closely with their team to monitor and assess the situation."