25 escaped monkeys captured in South Carolina, 18 remain on the loose

YEMASEE, S.C. -- More than half of the rhesus macaque monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina lab have been recovered, ABC News reported.

As of Sunday evening, 25 of the 43 furry runaways, that broke loose Wednesday from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemasee, have now successfully been captured.

"A sizable group remains active along the fence line and at this time have bedded down in the trees for the night," a spokesperson for the Yemassee Police Department said.

A team of veterinarians, which have been brought in to conduct wellness exams, said all the recovered primates are in good health.

On Saturday, Yemasee officials said they had recovered one of the escaped monkeys.

"She is well and having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich," Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said in a statement.

Yemasee officials said that "a significant number" of the escaped primates were located in a facility near where the rescued animal was found and were "jumping back and forth over the facility's fence."

"Alpha Genesis management and staff are on-site, actively feeding and monitoring the animals, and they will continue these efforts throughout the weekend," the town's officials said in a statement.

"The primates continue to interact with their companions inside the facility, which is a positive sign," they added.

Westergaard said the monkeys were having a nap Saturday afternoon.

"They are coming down to the ground a bit more now. It is a slow process," he said.

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

The primates are all very young females weighing 6 to 7 pounds each who have never been tested, according to police. There is no public health threat, police said.

Recovery efforts will continue until all the monkeys are recovered, police said, and requested the public call 911 if they spot any of the remaining animals.

"We thank the public for their cooperation in avoiding the area and kindly ask that drones not be used in the vicinity," police said.

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.