A US city is on alert after 43 monkeys escaped from a research facility

More than 40 monkeys were released on Thursday in a small US town after escaping from a research facility, with authorities warning residents to keep their doors and windows closed.

The rhesus macaques, described by police in Yemassa, South Carolina, as “spooky” were reported to have escaped a day earlier from their enclosures at a facility run by Alpha Genesis, which specializes in primate biomedical research.

Search teams were dispatched to help find the monkeys and were “working to lure them with food,” the local police department said on social media.

“Residents are urged to securely lock doors and windows and report any sightings to 911 immediately. Please do not attempt to approach these animals under any circumstances,” the statement said.

Police added that all 43 primates were young females weighing up to seven pounds (three kilograms) and that they were not used for testing.

“A spokesperson for Alpha Genesis can confirm that these animals are too young to carry the disease,” the statement said.

Greg Westergaard, CEO of Alpha Genesis, said the leak was “disappointing”. CBS News he “hopes for a happy ending” when the primates return of their own accord.

He said the primates were able to roam free after the keeper failed to secure the enclosure door.

“It’s really like following the leader. You see one go and the others go,” Westergaard said.