Overturned truck releases rhesus monkeys in Mississippi; most euthanized

A truck carrying research rhesus monkeys overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg, Mississippi, on Tuesday, releasing several animals and prompting authorities to destroy most of the escapees, officials said. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office posted that the crash occurred near mile marker 117 and that all but one of the animals that fled were euthanized; one remained at large as search and containment efforts continued.

Sheriff Randy Johnson told deputies the vehicle was transporting rhesus macaques from the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans to a testing facility in Florida. Video and photos from the scene showed wooden animal crates scattered along the roadside and several monkeys moving through tall grass beside the highway. The cause of the overturn remains under investigation, and officials did not immediately identify the driver or the transport company.

In an initial Facebook post, the sheriff’s office warned the animals were aggressive and hazardous to handle and said personnel required personal protective equipment. That post also stated the primates carried hepatitis C, herpes and COVID-19. Tulane University issued a written response...