GREAT ESCAPE

‘Aggressive’ Lab Monkey on the Loose After Truck Crash

Officials have warned that anyone who sees the monkey is not to approach it.

A research monkey is on the loose in Jasper County, Mississippi after a truck carrying the animals crashed. While almost all of the escaped monkeys have been “destroyed,” one remains at large, and authorities are urging the public not to approach the 40-pound primate as it could be aggressive towards humans. The monkeys were being transported from Tulane University in New Orleans. The university has clarified that the monkeys do not carry any infectious diseases, despite initial reports to the contrary. In a statement the university said, “Non-human primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery. The primates in question belong to another entity, and they have not been exposed to any infectious agent. The non-human primates were NOT being transported by Tulane, but we are actively collaborating with local authorities and will send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed.” The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is also working with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department on the matter.