Three Research Monkeys Still Missing in Mississippi After Truck Crash Sparks Confusion and Safety Concerns

Three monkeys remained on the loose Wednesday in 🎷Mississippi after a truck carrying research animals overturned — leaving authorities and the public with more questions than answers about who owned the primates, who was transporting them, and where they were headed.

According to The Associated Press, officials initially said Tuesday that all but one of the escaped rhesus monkeys had been killed, but later updates painted a different picture. According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Tulane University officials entered the trailer Tuesday evening and determined that three monkeys had escaped.

Sheriff Randy Johnson said Tulane officials reported that the animals were not infectious, despite earlier claims from the truck’s occupants that the monkeys were dangerous and carried diseases. Still, Johnson noted the monkeys needed to be “neutralized” due to their aggressive behavior.

The truck was carrying rhesus monkeys — small primates weighing about 16 pounds — among the most medically studied animals in the world. Tulane University said the 21 monkeys aboard had recently received health checkups confirming they were pathogen-free.

In a statement Wednesday, Tulane clarified that it did not own or transport the monkeys but had dispatched a team of animal experts to assist. The university’s National Primate Research Center in Covington, Louisiana, routinely provides animals for scientific research, though officials said these particular monkeys were simply being housed there.