Mississippi lab monkey accident
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A truck transporting lab monkeys overturned Tuesday afternoon in Jasper County, Mississippi, forcing authorities to shoot most of the animals on the scene.
The crash occurred on I-59 near mile marker 117, just north of Heidelberg, according to Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson. The truck was hauling Rhesus monkeys from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a testing facility in Florida.
The monkeys, reportedly infected with hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID-19, weighed around 40 pounds each and were described as “aggressive” toward humans, requiring specialized protective gear to handle safely. Authorities have warned the public not to approach the animals and to call 911 immediately if they see the loose monkey.
Sheriff Johnson reported that 21 monkeys were on board. After the truck overturned, all escaped, and five of the loose monkeys were “eliminated” on site. One monkey remains at large as of Tuesday afternoon, with Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries assisting local law enforcement in the search.
Tulane University confirmed it will send a team to retrieve the monkeys that remain caged on Wednesday. The university released a statement clarifying that the non-human primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery, and the primates involved belong to another entity and are not infectious. Tulane said it is actively collaborating with local authorities and will provide animal care experts as needed.
Tulane had also instructed that any monkeys leaving the crash site must be euthanized, a measure authorities followed for safety reasons.