NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A truck carrying rhesus monkeys from Tulane University was involved in a wreck Tuesday on Interstate 59 near mile marker 117, authorities said.
wreck involving a truck carrying rhesus monkeys from Tulane University occurred Tuesday on Interstate 59 near mile marker 117.(Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi)
Officials said the animals weigh about 40 pounds each, are aggressive toward humans and require personal protective equipment to handle due to the monkeys also opposing potential health threats.
Tulane University was notified and will send a team to retrieve the animals.
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 are not infectious. We are actively collaborating with local authorities and will send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed.
Andrew Yang of Tulane University
Jasper County Sheriff’s Office advised that if any of the monkeys leave the wreck site they should be shot. Five monkeys have been shot and killed so far but one monkey is still on the loose.
The response and investigation remain ongoing.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2025 WVUE. All rights reserved.
