"Aggressive" Monkeys Escape After Truck Overturns in Mississippi

"Aggressive" Monkeys Escape

Truck Overturns, "Aggressive" Monkeys Escape

US authorities announced that a group of monkeys being transported on a Mississippi highway escaped from the truck after it overturned.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Department stated in a Facebook post that all but one of the escaped monkeys were killed. They warned that the monkeys were "aggressive." The number of monkeys originally in the truck and the number of fatalities remain unclear, according to the Associated Press. 

The truck was transporting rhesus macaques, which typically weigh around 7.7 kilograms (2 pounds) and are among the most commonly used animals in medical research worldwide.

It is still unknown who was transporting the monkeys or their intended destination. Videos showed monkeys crawling through tall grass on the side of Highway 59 north of Heidelberg, Mississippi, while wooden crates labeled "Live Animals" were smashed and scattered around the scene.

Police initially said the monkeys were carrying diseases, including herpes, but Tulane University stated that the monkeys were "non-infectious." Law enforcement officials did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. Tulane University added that it is working with local law enforcement and that the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is also on site.