Monkey business is reportedly taking place in south Mississippi, according to law enforcement.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Department reported Tuesday afternoon that a truck hauling Rhesus monkeys from Tulane University to a testing facility in Florida overturned near the 117-mile marker of Interstate 59, north of Heidelberg. Officials say several monkeys are on the loose.
The monkeys are approximately 40 pounds, aggressive, and require personal protective equipment to handle. Rhesus monkeys carry hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID, per officials.
In an update, authorities took to social media to report that all but one of the escaped monkeys had been “destroyed.” Law enforcement authorities have been in contact with an animal disposal company to help handle the situation.
Tulane also weighed in on the incident. In an email sent to SuperTalk Mississippi News, a spokesperson with the New Orleans-based university said the monkeys being transported to Florida belonged to another entity and were not infectious.
“Non-human primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery. The primates in question belong to another entity and are not infectious. We are actively collaborating with local authorities and will send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed.”
