Photo: Jasper County Sheriff's Department, Mississippi
The last monkey that escaped after a truck accident on Interstate 59 in Mississippi has been captured, according to authorities. On Wednesday (November 6), a resident near the crash site reported the monkey's location, leading to its successful capture by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. The incident began on October 28 when a truck carrying 21 rhesus monkeys overturned, freeing several animals. Five monkeys were killed during the initial chaos, while two others were shot by civilians who feared for their safety.
The monkeys were being transported to a research facility by PreLabs, a biomedical research support organization. They had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, although Tulane stated they were not responsible for the transport. The organization confirmed that the monkeys were not carrying any known diseases.
The incident has drawn attention to the secretive nature of animal research and the confidentiality surrounding such transports. While thirteen monkeys reached their intended destination safely, the escape highlighted potential risks associated with transporting live animals.