Five other monkeys were killed by authorities before officials could confirm they were not infectious.
JASPER, Mississippi — Mississippi authorities have captured an escaped monkey that had been missing since a truck carrying it flipped over on I-59 on Tuesday, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department said.
A homeowner near Heidelberg, Mississippi, found the rhesus macaque on his property early Sunday. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries responded, and the monkey is now in the department’s possession. Two other monkeys remain at large.
The monkey had been among 21 macaques being transported from Tulane University’s National Biomedical Research Center on the Northshore when the truck crashed. Initial reports described the monkeys as “aggressive” and suggested they might have been infected with herpes, COVID-19, and hepatitis C.
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Tulane officials quickly clarified that the monkeys were not infectious, but five of the animals were killed by Mississippi authorities before that information was confirmed.
Questions remain about the crash, including the intended destination of the monkeys and why some were killed. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post Tuesday that the truck driver had warned authorities the monkeys were dangerous and that anyone handling them should wear personal protective equipment.
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