Many of the others are still a few meters from the property, jumping back and forth over the facility’s fence, police said in a statement.

Rhesus macaques made a break for it Wednesday after an employee at the Alpha Genesis facility in Yemassee did not fully lock a door while feeding and checking on them, officials said.

On Friday, the monkeys were exploring the outer fence of the Alpha Genesis compound and the monkeys inside were howling. The primates continued to interact with their companions inside the facility on Saturday, which is a positive sign, the police statement said.

Alpha Genesis CEO Greg Westergaard said efforts to recover all animals will continue throughout the weekend and as long as needed, the statement said.

Monkeys are about the size of a cat. They are all females weighing about 3 kilograms.

Alpha Genesis, federal health officials and police said the monkeys pose no risk to public health. The facility breeds monkeys to sell to medical and other researchers.

Alpha Genesis supplies primates for research worldwide at its Yemassee complex, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Savannah, Georgia, according to its website.