Written by Tommy Acosta

SEDONA, Ariz. — What a great story. Forty-three monkeys escaped from a South Carolina lab, and 25 remain in the wild.

I mean, what is that like for them? They have lived their entire lives in captivity, are very young, and have little experience of the outside world. And now they are learning to survive in the wilderness, or natural habitat. Can you imagine what they are feeling? The taste of freedom, breathing the outside air, and a world of endless possibilities opening up before them.

Do they have a leader? My understanding is that all of the monkeys that escaped are female. They haven’t been able to survive the horrors of invasive biological experiments because no one has yet tested them. They hang out in the trees or sleep in the fields. But will they survive? They have never learned to forage. Will they be able to find a fruit tree to eat? Will a smarter and braver group be able to defy capture and find a way to live out there?

It probably won’t last long because there are no male monkeys to start a new colony. Still, just going outside, breathing fresh air and enjoying the sounds of civilization may be liberating for them.

Will they form a tight-knit group? Do they live in trees and scavenge in trash cans for food? Will they develop a sense of self-preservation and cunning to avoid those who try to catch them? Incredible, like planet of the apes. I always wonder, do they have a leader? Or is this simply a case of “monkey see, monkey do”? If either one is in the lead, perhaps the chase could be even longer.

I place myself inside their furry little bodies and feel a sense of elation. As they fly from tree to tree, there’s a new scent here and there, and maybe they’ll find a fruit tree or even raid a garbage can at night to feed and devour it. I’ve been following this story closely and am very curious to see what happens next. It is said that 25 of the 43 fish were caught, so it seems that there are still quite a few left.

One can only imagine the horror that awaits these young monkeys in the lab. They are dissected and injected with cancer-causing poisons and chemicals, a harrowing existence. But now they are there, unbound and free.

How many people would come back on their own if they were scared or really hungry? Even monkeys have their own personalities, and every creature has their own personalities. That’s why there are brave lions and cowardly lions. If there were some wise silverbacks ruling over the tribe, that would probably be more likely. Just like humans, different animals have different levels of intelligence.

It’s no surprise, then, that these monkeys can have varying degrees of intelligence, adventure, and courage. What happens to the monkeys that are not lured? Will they be sedated or shot? Let’s take a look. I am watching this story with bated breath and rooting for the monkeys who escaped.

some legal expert They suggest they may have certain rights now that the monkeys are outside the facility. Some state officials and members of the public have even suggested that they may be rescued from a life of captivity and experimentation by being brought into legal protection and sanctuary.

But questions remain. Are some of the escaped monkeys smart enough to avoid capture and survive in the wild without food? Let’s take a look.