A police search is underway after 40 monkeys escaped from a research facility in South Carolina on Wednesday night.

Police in Yemassee, Beaufort County, said the animals escaped from Alpha Genesis, a business that provides “nonhuman primate products and bio-research services,” according to its website.

Traps have been set up and officers are using thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to recapture the animals, police said.

“Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes,” Yemassee Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. Anyone who finds a monkey should not interact with it but instead call 911, it said.

The company works with monkeys to carry out clinical trials, including on brain disease disorder treatments, and says it has “one of the largest and most comprehensive nonhuman primate facilities, designed specifically for monkeys, in the United States.”

The sheriff’s department didn’t specify the breed of the fugitive primates, but the company’s website says it works with macaque  and capuchin monkeys.

It is also not known what trials the escaped monkeys were taking part in, nor whether they were exposed to any diseases. Alpha Genesis did not immediately respond to an overnight request for comment from NBC News.

The company secured a federal contract to run a colony of 3,500 monkeys on Morgan Island off the coast of South Carolina, also known as Monkey Island.

The Post and Courier newspaper in Beaufort County reported that primate escapes have happened several times before in the area, including in May this year, and in 2016 when 19 evaded security at Alpha Genesis before they were recaptured six hours later.

In 2022, three monkeys escaped following a traffic accident in rural Pennsylvania.

COLUMBIA — South Carolina football travels to Nashville to face No. 25 Vanderbilt on Saturday (4:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) and as of Wednesday night, three South Carolina players have been ruled out for the Week 11 SEC matchup.

Wide receiver Mazeo Bennett left the field shortly before halftime of last week’s game against Texas A&M after he came down hard after a tackle. Coach Shane Beamer said Bennett was dealing with an upper body injury but should be good for this week, and he was not on the injury report.

The Commodores (6-3, 3-2 SEC) clinched bowl eligibility last week against Auburn, and South Carolina (5-3, 3-3) upset Texas A&M 44-20. Saturday marks the 34th matchup between the teams.

The SEC injury report is released on Wednesday night of a conference game week and is updated each day, with a final report 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

Here’s the latest injury news for both South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

South Carolina football injury report vs Vanderbilt

This story will be updated daily to reflect the latest information

South Carolina

• OL Jakai Moore (out)
• RB Matthew Fuller (out)
• LB Mohamed Kaba (out)
• DT DeAndre Jules (doubtful)
• DT Nick Barrett (doubtful)
• DB Buddy Mack (doubtful)

Vanderbilt

• DL Zaylin Wood (out)
• CB Mark Davis (out)
• Edge Boubacar Diakite (out)
• OL Grayson Morgan (out)
• DL Bradley Mann (out)
• WR Dariyan Wiley (questionable)
• WR Quincy Skinner Jr. (questionable)
• CB Kolbey Taylor (questionable)
• QB Nate Johnson (questionable)
• DL Christian James (questionable)
• QB Diego Pavia (probable)
• RB Sedrick Alexander (probable)

BASKETBALL NEWS: Ashlyn Watkins returns to team activities, practice with South Carolina women’s basketball

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin

Former Mount Pleasant police chief Carl Ritchie will now serve as Charleston County’s top cop after winning a close race Tuesday night against Democratic incumbent Kristin Graziano.

“I’m going to get to work right away,” Ritchie told supporters at a watch party in Mount Pleasant.

“I’m going to meet with folks I need to in Charleston County government and start talking about how we can start righting the ship.”

Ritchie touts more than 30 years of local law enforcement experience and was elected to Mount Pleasant town council after retiring as the community’s police chief in 2021.

His win is a sharp departure from the county’s current sheriff and puts the office once again under Republican leadership as it was for decades until Graziano was elected in 2020.

“In a world that’s often clouded by hate and division, I ask that you, let’s choose a path of unity,” Sheriff Graziano told reporters Wednesday as she conceded the election.

“Let’s rise about this negativity. Embrace some kindness for once.”

Graziano was the first woman and openly gay sheriff to be elected. She immediately fulfilled a campaign promise to end a voluntary agreement with federal authorities that relied on local deputies to help ICE deport immigrants. Graziano argued then, the agreement was costly and created distrust in minority communities.

This election year, immigration became a top issue for Republican candidates nationwide, including South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace. In recent months, Mace took aim at Graziano, accusing the sheriff of letting immigrants “run wild.” Mace easily won her re-election bid last night.

“It’s unfortunate that they want to take a national issue and make it a local problem,” Graziano said. “Charleston’s better than that.”

But accusations involving immigration aren’t the only issue Graziano faced. More than a dozen inmates have died in detention during her time as sheriff, prompting a federal investigation into potential abuse. Also, reports of inadequate staffing have plagued her tenure.

As for what she’ll do next, Graziano told reporters she’s focused now on her final months in office. Ritchie will take the reins as sheriff in January 2025.