Jasper County, Mississippi, deputies killed multiple rhesus monkeys Tuesday after a truck crash on I-59 — only to learn later the animals weren’t infectious, according to the sheriff’s office and Tulane University.
Deputies initially warned residents that three monkeys were on the loose and “aggressive,” saying the trucker told them the animals carried COVID, hepatitis C and herpes. The department said “all but one of the escaped monkeys have been destroyed,” and that the wreck happened Oct. 28 near mile marker 117. (RELATED: ‘What The Heck Is Making Them All Jump?’: Wild Monkeys Fly Into Water At Florida State Park In Crazy Scene)
“We took the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys,” the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department wrote in a Facebook update.
Tulane quickly contradicted the disease claim, saying the monkeys weren’t part of a Tulane transport and “are not infectious.”
“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,” the university’s statement said.
The sheriff’s office also told residents that Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks along with an animal-disposal company responded to the scene, and that personal protective equipment was required to handle the monkeys based on what deputies were told by the driver. One monkey remained unaccounted for as of the Tuesday update.
It was not immediately clear how many monkeys were in the vehicle, who owns them or why they were being moved. Authorities have not released the driver’s name.
Deputies said they would “continue to release updates as we get more information.”