Residents are on high alert following reports of three aggressive monkeys escaping in Mississippi, US. The primates, initially believed to be carrying hepatitis C, herpes, and Covid-19, triggered concerns among locals. Although later confirmed to be disease-free, the monkeys are still at large after a truck transporting them overturned north of Heidelberg.
The truck’s driver informed authorities that the monkeys were hostile and potentially infectious. Despite reassurances from Tulane University that the primates posed no health risk, Sheriff Randy Johnson stated that the monkeys needed to be contained due to their aggressive behavior. While several Rhesus monkeys were euthanized, three managed to evade capture and are currently unaccounted for.
The incident took place at Tulane University’s National Biomedical Research Center, which supplies primates for scientific research. The exact number and whereabouts of the missing monkeys remain unclear. Video footage captured the monkeys wandering near Interstate 59, with damaged crates marked as “live animals” strewn across the area.
University officials are conducting search operations to locate the escaped monkeys, while the rest of the primates are being returned to a facility in Louisiana. Many questions persist regarding the circumstances of the transportation, ownership, destination, and purpose of the monkeys, as well as the cause of the accident.
Rhesus monkeys, extensively used in medical research, are now roaming the countryside near Heidelberg, prompting authorities to caution the public against approaching them. The Mississippi highway patrol is actively investigating the incident to determine the full scope of the situation.