Heidelberg, Mississippi
AP
—
Monkeys being transported on a Mississippi highway escaped captivity Tuesday after the truck carrying them overturned, in accordance with legislation enforcement.
All however one of many escaped monkeys had been killed, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department stated in a publish on Facebook, warning that the monkeys had been “aggressive.” It is just not clear what number of monkeys had been initially in the truck.
The truck was carrying Rhesus monkeys, which generally weigh round 16 kilos (7.7 kilograms) and are among the many most medically studied animals on the planet. They had been being housed on the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely supplies primates to scientific analysis organizations, in accordance with the college.
It is just not clear who was transporting the monkeys or the place they had been being taken.
Video exhibits monkeys crawling by way of tall grass on the aspect of Interstate 59 simply north of Heidelberg, Mississippi, with wood crates labeled “live animals” crumpled and strewn about.
The sheriff’s division initially stated the monkeys had been carrying illnesses together with herpes, however Tulane University stated in an announcement that the monkeys “are not infectious.” The sheriff’s division responded by saying the driving force of the truck advised legislation enforcement the monkeys had been harmful and wanted to be dealt with utilizing private protecting tools.
Tulane University stated it’s working with legislation enforcement. Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries was additionally on web site.
The crash occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital of Jackson. It is just not clear what prompted the truck to overturn.