Heidelberg, Miss. — Several Rhesus monkeys escaped Tuesday after a truck transporting them overturned along Interstate 59 near Heidelberg, Mississippi, according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities described the animals as “aggressive”, warning residents to avoid contact. All but one of the escaped monkeys were later killed, though officials did not confirm how many were originally in the vehicle.
The monkeys were being housed at the Tulane University National Primate Research Center in New Orleans, which supplies animals for scientific and biomedical research. Tulane said in a statement that the monkeys “are not infectious”, contradicting earlier reports from law enforcement that they carried diseases, including herpes.
“The driver told us the monkeys were dangerous and required handling with protective equipment,” the sheriff’s department said in an updated post.
Video from the crash site showed wooden crates labeled “live animals” scattered across the roadside and monkeys moving through tall grass nearby.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries and Tulane University officials assisted in the recovery operation.
The accident occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Jackson, Mississippi.