A truck carrying research monkeys from Tulane University overturned on a Mississippi highway Tuesday, leading to a chaotic scene as several of the animals escaped, according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and the Associated Press.
The crash happened on Interstate 59 near mile marker 117, just north of Heidelberg.
The overturned truck scattered wooden crates labeled “live animals” across the roadside.
Video from the scene showed monkeys crawling through the tall grass as authorities worked to contain the situation.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said all but one of the monkeys were killed after escaping.
Officials described the monkeys, identified as rhesus macaques, as “aggressive” and warned that personal protective equipment (PPE) is required to safely handle them.
The sheriff’s office said the monkeys were known to carry diseases including hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID-19, though Tulane University later clarified that the animals “are not infectious.”
In a statement provided to KIRO 7 News, Tulane University says:
Nonhuman primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery. This is a common practice among research organizations. On Oct. 28, a vehicle was transporting 21 Rhesus Macaques when an accident occurred on I-59 in Mississippi. The nonhuman primates were not being transported by Tulane, not owned by Tulane, and not in Tulane’s custody. The primates in question were not carrying any diseases and had received recent checkups confirming that they were pathogen-free. Although Tulane did not transport or own the nonhuman primates at the time of the incident, we sent a team of animal care experts to assist in this tragic incident. Questions regarding the missing nonhuman primates and other details of this case should be referred to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Tulane confirmed the monkeys were being housed at its National Primate Research Center in New Orleans, which supplies research animals to scientific institutions nationwide.
It is not clear who was transporting the monkeys or their intended destination.
Jasper County officials said Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries officers assisted at the scene alongside local law enforcement.
Tulane University said it is working with those agencies and will send a team to recover the surviving animals still in cages.
The crash site is about 100 miles from Jackson.
Authorities did not say what caused the truck to overturn, and the search continues for the one monkey still missing.
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