Three research monkeys are still mysteriously missing in Mississippi after a truck transporting the test primates toppled, leaving officials scratching their heads about who managed the monkeys, who moved them, and where the merry mammals were meant to go.
The monkey muddle has left a mess of unanswered questions for authorities.
Officials initially said Tuesday that all but one of the escaped rhesus monkeys had been killed. But the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department later clarified that Tulane University’s team of primate professionals entered the trailer that evening and determined three monkeys had made their getaway.
Sheriff Randy Johnson said Tulane officials assured investigators that the monkeys were not infectious – despite early warnings from the truck’s occupants suggesting the animals were dangerous. Still, Johnson said the monkeys needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.
The overturned truck had been carrying 21 rhesus monkeys, each weighing about 16 pounds. Tulane confirmed Wednesday that the monkeys had recently passed pathogen-free checkups. The university insisted it didn’t own or transport them but had sent monkey management experts to help with the situation.
The monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Primate Research Center, which routinely supplies animals for scientific studies. The facility lies about 40 miles north of New Orleans in Covington, Louisiana. Video from Tuesday showed monkeys scrambling around Interstate 59 near Heidelberg, Mississippi, among shattered crates marked “Live Animals.”
By Wednesday, the truck was gone, but people in masks and monkey-minding gear – white coats, gloves, and hairnets – joined law officers combing the area.
University officials will remain nearby as the search for the missing monkeys continues, the sheriff said. The remaining rhesus residents were being returned to Louisiana.
Mississippi state veterinarian Dr. James Watson verified the animals had the correct documentation and “certificate of veterinary inspection” for interstate transport. The Board of Animal Health wasn’t part of the emergency response, he said, and any further information should come from Tulane’s primate center.
Authorities urged anyone who spots the marauding monkeys not to approach them but to contact law enforcement immediately.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol said it was still investigating the crash, which occurred roughly 100 miles from Jackson, the state capital.
We’re rooting for the monkeys…
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