Jasper County, Mississippi – A truck hauling Rehsus monkeys from Tulane University overturned on Tuesday, allowing the primates to escape along Interstate 59, outside of Heidelberg, Mississippi. According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, all but one of the monkeys were subsequently killed.
The initial public post from the authorities stated that the monkeys were aggressive to humans and required PPE to handle. The authorities said:
” The monkeys carry hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID.”
After the initial social media post, the sheriff’s department provided the update about the one remaining monkey on the loose:
“All but one of the escaped monkeys have been destroyed. We have been in contact with an animal diposal company to help handle the situation.
Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries is also on site with our local law enforcement.
We are continuing to look for the one monkey that is still on the loose.”
Tulane University issued a statement that the monkeys were NOT infectious, contradicting what the police were told by the driver of the overturned truck. The sheriff’s department said:
“The driver of the truck told local law enforcement that the monkeys were dangerous and posed a threat to humans. We took the the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys. He also stated that you had wear PPE equipment to handle the monkeys.”
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