University Denies Monkeys That Escaped in Truck Crash Were Infected With Horrific Diseases

Here’s what we know for sure: a truck that was transporting research monkeys crashed on an interstate in eastern Mississippi after leaving Tulane University, and some of them escaped.

According to a statement posted to Facebook, the local Jasper County Sheriff’s Office initially claimed the Rhesus monkeys were infected with a range of horrendous diseases — including hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID-19 — and were “aggressive.” All but one of the escaped animals have been euthanized, the police said, and the university was due to recover the ones still in cages.

“We are continuing to look for the one monkey that is still on the loose,” the cops said.

But then the story took an unexpected turn. Tulane University spokesperson Michael Strecker told New Orleans-based outlet NOLA that the “primates in question belong to another entity and are not infectious,” suggesting that the sheriff’s office had received bad intel.

“Non-human primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery,” he said. “We are actively collaborating with local authorities and will send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed.”

In a statement to Futurism, a Tulane University spokesperson clarified that the “monkeys did not carry any infectious disease and had not been exposed to any infectious agent.”

With or without the threat of being infected by a monkey on the loose, the situation still posed a considerable threat. According to the sheriff’s office, the monkeys weighed around 40 pounds each and were “aggressive to humans and they require [personal protective equipment] to handle.”

It’s not the first time we’ve heard of research monkeys escaping their captors. In November 2024, over 40 rhesus macaques escaped a facility run by Alpha Genesis, one of the largest monkey breeders globally, in South Carolina. Authorities warned residents to secure their doors and windows.

Over a month later, four monkeys remained uncaptured. By late January 2025, officials confirmed that all 43 monkeys had been recovered safely.

More on escaped monkeys: Monkeys That Escaped Research Facility Still on the Loose, Authorities Say