On Interstate 59, north of Heidelberg in Jasper County, Mississippi, a truck transporting rhesus monkeys associated with Tulane University overturned on Tuesday afternoon, causing an incident. Law enforcement was forced to take “appropriate action” after being misinformed by the truck driver that animals were dangerous. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Department commented late yesterday evening that three remain missing, after it was initially thought that only one was unaccounted for.

Monkeys Gone Missing

Tulane officials were able to access the wrecked truck and get a head count. They are actively searching nearby areas for the remaining animals. The sheriff’s office warned in their statement that the monkeys have several conditions and pose as “potential health threats and are aggressive.” They urged the public not to approach them and instead call local law enforcement immediately.

“We are doing our best to update the public, but we are still in the midst of gathering all pertinent information,” the sheriff’s office said. “We will continue to release updates as we get more information.” The truck contained 21 monkeys, each weighing approximately 40 pounds, and after the crash, six had escaped. Three were recovered, leaving only three left to find. Initially, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office reported the primates carried hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID, but Tulane officials stressed they were not diseased nor infectious. 

Officials Unalive Escaped Primates

A number of the primates leaving Tulane University’s primate Research Center were “destroyed” after the truck crashed because the driver mistakenly told authorities they were dangerous. “The driver of the truck told local law enforcement that the monkeys were dangerous and posed a threat to humans,” the sheriff’s office said. “We took the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys. He also stated that you had to wear PPE equipment to handle the monkeys.”

The sheriff’s department said they contacted an animal disposal firm to take care of the carcasses at the crash site after their officers took “appropriate action.” Tulane said it would send a team to pick up the remaining primates still caged. Unfortunately, some of them also died upon impact. It is not clear how many are being recovered. 

Tulane Released Statements

Tulane University informed the public via X that the primates were not infectious and were being hauled from the school to a third-party organization to “advance science.” The University also issued a statement to NBC News on Tuesday evening explaining that the primates being transferred belonged to a third party. “The primates in question belong to another entity, and they have not been exposed to any infectious agent,” it said. “The non-human primates were NOT being transported by Tulane, but we are actively collaborating with local authorities and are sending a team of animal care experts to assist.”

PETA Issues a Statement

The nonprofit organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), issued a statement following the incident. It referred to the escape as a prime example of the risks of the “greedy monkey experimentation industry.”

“Terrified monkeys running for their lives into unprotected, populated areas is exactly the spark that could ignite the next pandemic. Monkeys can carry diseases transmissible to humans, including tuberculosis, and Tulane National Primate Research Center, where these monkeys were trucked from, has had disease outbreaks of pathogens deadly to humans in its monkey colony.”

“This is the risk the greedy monkey experimentation industry has chosen for the public, so they can line their pockets while these sensitive monkeys crisscross American highways in unmarked trucks. It’s also a tragedy for the monkeys, whose only moments of freedom before death were the result of a truck crash. The importation and use of monkeys in laboratory experiments is emptying the world’s forests while putting Americans at great risk, and it must end now,” wrote PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo.