YEMASSEE, S.C. (WCIV) — Officers in South Carolina are working to locate several primates after they escaped from a nearby research center, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office (BCSO).

BCSO said the primates escaped the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center on Castle Hall Road in Yemassee on Wednesday. Officials reported at least 40 primates escaped from the facility.

Traps have been set up around the area, and the Yemassee Police Department was on-site utilizing thermal imaging cameras in an attempt to locate the animals, law enforcement said.

Residents are strongly advised to keep doors and windows secured to prevent these animals from entering homes.

The sheriff's office advised anyone who came across one of the escaped primates to not interact with them but to call 911 immediately.

Alpha Genesis, Inc. is a provider of nonhuman primate products and bio-research services with "one of the largest and most comprehensive nonhuman primate facilities, designed specifically for monkeys, in the United States,"according to its website.

A specific breed of primate was not described by the sheriff's department but the company says it works with macaque and capuchin monkeys.