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.
Video from Tuesday showed monkeys crawling through tall grass along Interstate 59, just north of Heidelberg, Mississippi. Crates labeled “live animals” were crushed and scattered along the highway.
By Wednesday, the truck had been cleared from the scene, but people wearing lab coats, gloves, and hairnets — along with law enforcement officers — were still combing the area in search of the missing animals.
“All other monkeys were being transported back to Louisiana,” Sheriff Johnson said, adding that Tulane officials would continue to assist with the search.
Dr. James Watson, Mississippi’s state veterinarian, confirmed that the animals had the proper paperwork and a “certificate of veterinary inspection” for legal interstate transport. He added that the state’s Board of Animal Health was not directly involved in the response and that further details should come from Tulane’s primate center.
The sheriff’s office urged anyone who spots a monkey not to approach it and to immediately contact authorities.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles from Jackson.
