21 Monkeys Loose After Truck Crash in Mississippi

Rescue efforts are underway to capture three remaining rhesus macaques on the loose in rural Mississippi after a truck carrying 21 of the primates crashed on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. The truck, which was heading to a destination in Louisiana, is believed to have been carrying animals intended for medical research. While most of the monkeys were killed in the crash, three escaped and are now roaming the fields near the accident site. Authorities have warned residents not to approach the animals, citing their aggressive nature.

Key Takeaways:

The accident occurred on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg, Mississippi, where a truck carrying 21 rhesus macaques crashed, resulting in the deaths of most of the animals. Three monkeys escaped and are still on the loose.
The truck was transporting animals from the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in Covington, Louisiana, which provides primates to scientific research organizations.
The university stated that the monkeys had recently undergone checkups confirming they were pathogen-free and that Tulane was not transporting the monkeys and did not own them.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash, and the state's Board of Animal Health is not directly involved in the response to the incident.
Rhesus macaques are known to be aggressive, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, which is working with sheriff's officials to recapture the animals.
The incident is reminiscent of a similar incident last year at a primate research center in Yemassee, South Carolina, where employees failed to fully lock an enclosure, allowing the animals to escape.

Statistics:

21 monkeys were being transported in the truck that crashed on Interstate 59.
3 monkeys escaped and are still on the loose in rural Mississippi.
18 monkeys were killed in the crash.

Sources:

Associated Press Writer Jeff Martin in Atlanta
Mississippi Highway Patrol
Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
Mississippi Board of Animal Health