JASPER COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A truck hauling monkeys overturned in Mississippi on Tuesday.
According to authorities, the Rhesus monkeys were on their way to a testing facility in Florida after being at Tulane University.
In a statement, Tulane University said “the primates… are not infectious.”
Authorities said the driver of the truck carrying the monkeys told law enforcement that the monkeys “were dangerous” and “posed a threat to humans.”
Authorities say they took the appropriate actions after being given that information.
As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office says the latest count shows three monkeys are still loose following the crash.
Five monkeys are dead, and thirteen did not escape from their crates.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks is on site with local law enforcement.
The incident happened on I-59 near mile marker 117, which is north of Heidelberg, Mississippi.
Read Tulane University’s full statement below:
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.
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