Truck Full of ‘Dangerous’ Lab Monkeys carrying herpes and COVID Crashes in Mississippi — Police Open Fire, One Monkey Still on the Run

Chaos broke out on a Mississippi highway Tuesday after a truck hauling monkeys to a Florida research facility overturned, releasing several animals into the area.

Authorities said the Rhesus monkeys were being transported from Tulane University to a testing site in Florida when the crash occurred along I-59 near mile marker 117, north of Heidelberg.

According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the driver told law enforcement that the monkeys were “dangerous” and could “pose a threat to humans.” Acting on that information, officers fatally shot several of the escaped animals.

“All of the monkeys, except one, have been destroyed,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that one monkey remains missing. State wildlife officials are assisting in the ongoing search.

In a statement, Tulane University clarified that the monkeys “are not infectious” and emphasized that they were part of a legitimate research transport.

“The primates in question belong to another entity and are not infectious,” the university said. “We are actively working with local authorities and will send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed.”

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks joined local law enforcement at the crash site to secure the area and locate the remaining animal.

Tulane University’s National Biomedical Research Center provides non-human primates to other institutions for scientific study, a practice that has drawn controversy in the past but remains legal under federal guidelines.

Authorities have not yet released details about how the truck overturned or whether any humans were injured in the crash.