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Monkey Mayhem on Mississippi Highway: Most Escaped Primates Killed After Truck Overturns
JASPER COUNTY, Miss. – A bizarre and concerning incident unfolded on a Mississippi highway Tuesday when a truck transporting rhesus monkeys overturned, leading to the escape of its primate cargo. Authorities have confirmed that all but one of the escaped monkeys have since been killed.
The crash occurred approximately 100 miles from Jackson, near Heidelberg, Mississippi, on Interstate 59. The cause of the truck’s overturning remains unclear. Video footage captured the unusual sight of monkeys navigating tall grass along the roadside, with crumpled wooden crates, clearly marked “live animals,” scattered across the scene.
According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, the rhesus monkeys were en route from Tulane University. The department initially posted on social media, warning the public that the primates “are aggressive to humans and they require PPE to handle.” While the exact number of monkeys initially in the truck and subsequently killed has not been released, the sheriff’s department stated that the truck’s driver informed them that “the monkeys were dangerous and posed a threat to humans,” prompting them to take “appropriate actions after being given that information.”
Rhesus monkeys, typically weighing around 16 pounds, are extensively used in medical research. Authorities stated that while the escaped monkeys carry diseases, they were not infectious. These primates were housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, a facility known for providing primates to scientific research organizations.
A spokesperson for Tulane University confirmed that the monkeys “are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery” and emphasized that “The primates in question belong to another entity and are not infectious.” The university stated its active collaboration with local authorities and its intention to send a team of animal care experts to assist.
Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries personnel are also on site. The ultimate owner of the monkeys and their final destination are currently unknown.
Rhesus macaque primates are characterized by their brown fur, red faces and ears, and close-cropped hair on their heads, which highlights their expressive features. Imported to the United States in the 1970s for biomedical research, these monkeys are described by the New England Primate Conservancy as “bold, extremely curious and adventurous” and “highly adaptable to coexisting alongside humans.”
There was some initial confusion regarding the monkeys’ health status. The sheriff’s department initially reported that the monkeys carried diseases, including herpes.
However, Tulane University later clarified that the monkeys “are not infectious.” Requests for clarification from law enforcement officials were not immediately answered.
This incident echoes a similar event in November 2024, when 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped from an Alpha Genesis research facility in Beaufort County, South Carolina, prompting local residents to secure their homes. All those monkeys were safely recaptured by January, after a caretaker inadvertently failed to secure an enclosure door.