Monkey business, as truckload of research monkeys escape during Mississippi crash: one on the loose

Multiple aggressive rhesus monkeys escaped from a truck in Mississippi on Tuesday after it crashed in Jasper County, but all the escaped primates have been euthanized except for one that is still on the loose.

The monkeys, weighing approximately 40 pounds each, were being transported from Tulane University in New Orleans, and are aggressive toward humans. Six of the 21 monkeys escaped in the crash on Interstate 59, with the other 15 still being caged.

"We have been in contact with an animal disposal company to help handle the situation," the Jasper County Sheriff's Office said. "Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries is also on-site with our local law enforcement. We are continuing to look for the one monkey that is still on the loose."

The monkeys are not infectious but they carry hepatitis C, herpes and COVID-19, according to Fox News. If someone sees the escaped primate, they are encouraged to call 911.

Tulane National Biomedical Research Center provides monkeys to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery, and the monkeys belonged to another "entity" but the school did not say who owned the monkeys. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.