A truck carrying research monkeys crashed on a Mississippi highway Tuesday, unleashing what local authorities initially said were multiple large, "aggressive" monkeys into the wild. In a Facebook post, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office said the rhesus monkeys "are approximately 40lbs, they are aggressive to humans and they require PPE to handle. The monkeys carry hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID." The monkeys were being transported from Tulane National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, though Tulane said the primates are not infectious, Fox News reports. The AP notes that rhesus monkeys, which are widely used in research, typically weigh around 16 pounds.
Officials warned residents not to approach the animals and to call 911 if spotted. "Unfortunately not," the sheriff's office replied to a Facebook comment from a skeptical citizen who wondered if the incident was a joke. The sheriff's office later said all the escaped monkeys, except for one that is still at large, "have been destroyed, " WLBT reports. The sheriff's office said it "took the appropriate actions" based on information from the truck driver, who told deputies the monkeys "were dangerous" and "posed a threat to humans."
"Non-human primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery," the university said in a statement, per WTVA. "The primates in question belong to another entity and are not infectious. We are actively collaborating with local authorities and will send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed." It's not clear how many monkeys escaped, or how many remained in cages on the truck.
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