Police in Yemassee, South Carolina, are searching for 43 monkeys that escaped from the Alpha Genesis research facility after a staff member failed to secure a door.

The monkeys, young and weighing only 6-7 lbs, were last seen in nearby woods. Police advised locals to lock doors and avoid the animals, who may be lured back with food traps containing apples.

This isn’t Alpha Genesis’s first escape incident; 11 monkeys escaped in 2022 but were quickly captured, NBC News has reported.

The facility, which conducts research on brain disorders and operates a monkey colony on Morgan Island, faces criticism from animal rights advocates who call for ethical, non-animal research alternatives.

Written by B.C. Begley