A second monkey that escaped from an overturned truck on a Mississippi highway has been shot and killed, while a third remains unaccounted for, authorities said. The incident began on 28 October when a vehicle transporting 21 rhesus monkeys crashed on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg.
Randy Johnson, the Jasper County sheriff, confirmed that someone shot the monkey on Monday evening after seeing it cross the highway about a mile from the crash site. The person with the transport company recovered the animal. This follows a similar incident over the weekend when a woman shot another escaped monkey, citing fears for her children's safety after her 16-year-old son spotted it near their home.
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks stated on Tuesday that two of the escaped monkeys have been 'recovered deceased,' with one still missing. Officials warned the public not to approach the animals, describing them as aggressive. During the initial search, five monkeys were killed, and three were reported missing.
The monkeys were being transported by PreLabs, a biomedical research support organisation, to a licensed research facility. The company stressed that the monkeys carried no known diseases but urged people not to approach them as they were likely frightened and disoriented. The remaining 13 monkeys arrived safely at their destination.
The monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center, which stated it was not involved in the transport and that the animals did not belong to the university. The escape has drawn attention to the secretive nature of the animal research industry.
