The last of the escaped South Carolina lab monkeys have been recovered

A rhesus macaque looks on from the quarantine room of a future animal shelter in Nogent-le-Phaye near Chartres, France, in 2019. Jean-Francois Monier/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Jean-Francois Monier/AFP via Getty Images

The last of the 43 monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina research facility late last year have been recovered, according to the local police department, putting an end to a dramatic saga that launched a small town into the national spotlight.

The female rhesus macaques made their escape from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee, S.C., in early November, surviving an uncharacteristically brutal winter outside the facility.

By mid-November, Yemassee police reported that said 39 of the primates had been humanely trapped and returned to the lab, leaving just a handful of the playful primates still outside the property's fences.

After the final monkeys' recovery, Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard told authorities that the animals appeared to be in good health despite months spent outdoors.

Police had described the animals as very young and weighing between six and seven pounds.

According to its website, Alpha Genesis breeds and researches primates for purposes including vaccine development and experimental surgical procedures.

The monkeys had never been used for testing due to their young age and they didn't carry the risk of transmitting diseases to humans, police said.