What started as a highway accident has turned into a bizarre and unsettling animal crisis in Mississippi. A second escaped monkey has been shot and killed, and officials confirm one more remains missing over a week after a truck transporting research animals overturned on Interstate 59.
The latest monkey was killed Monday evening after it was seen crossing the highway near the site of the October 28 crash, Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson said. A civilian shot the animal and contacted someone from the transport company, who recovered the body.
Over the weekend, another monkey met a similar fate when a mother near Heidelberg, fearing for her children’s safety, shot the animal outside her home. Jessica Bond Ferguson said locals had been warned the monkeys might carry diseases, prompting her to act when her 16-year-old son spotted the primate.
These monkeys were among 21 being transported when their truck flipped near Heidelberg. Witnesses captured footage of monkeys roaming through tall grass and wooded areas, crates cracked open along the roadside. According to officials, five monkeys were killed in the immediate aftermath. Three had initially gone missing.
Authorities are urging the public not to approach the remaining monkey. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks confirmed Tuesday that two escaped monkeys were found deceased and one remains unaccounted for. The rhesus macaques are known for their aggressive behavior and potential to spread disease, though the company responsible for transporting them insists the animals were not carrying any known illnesses.
The monkeys were housed at the Tulane University National Primate Research Center but were not owned by the university. Tulane clarified that while it works with research primates, it was not involved in this transport operation. The remaining 13 monkeys reached their intended research facility safely.
The transport company, PreLabs, issued a statement saying the monkeys were being legally moved to a licensed research site. The company emphasized that while the animals were not infectious, the public should avoid contact as they were likely disoriented and scared.
