**Truck Carrying Lab Monkeys Crashes in Mississippi; Authorities Search for Three Escaped Simians**
Oct. 28 (UPI) — A truck transporting lab monkeys crashed Tuesday on a stretch of Interstate 59 outside Heidelberg, Mississippi, prompting authorities to search for three escaped rhesus monkeys.
According to a Facebook post by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, the incident began when the truck carrying the monkeys crashed in rural Mississippi. The sheriff’s department cautioned the public not to approach the monkeys due to their aggressive behavior and potential health risks.
However, updates from the sheriff’s department about the monkeys’ origin, their threat level to humans, and how many remained at large have varied. In an early update, officials stated the monkeys were being transported from Tulane University. They described the rhesus monkeys as weighing about 40 pounds, aggressive, and reportedly carrying COVID-19 as well as sexually transmitted infections.
Later, the sheriff’s department shared a statement from Tulane University clarifying that the monkeys “belong to another entity and are not infectious.” The university also confirmed it was collaborating with local authorities and planned to send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed.
“The driver of the truck told local law enforcement that the monkeys were dangerous and posed a threat to humans,” the sheriff’s department said in its latest post. “We took the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys.”
A Tulane spokesperson told the Clarion Ledger that the truck driver is not employed by the university. Following a reassessment when Tulane officials arrived on the scene, the sheriff’s office revised the number of missing monkeys to three. This was after initially reporting that all but one of the monkeys had been destroyed.
Authorities continue their efforts to locate and secure the remaining escaped simians while urging the public to remain cautious.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/10/28/monkeys-truck-mississippi/2341761702445/