Three Rhesus Macaques Escape After Mississippi Crash

A truck carrying 21 rhesus macaques overturned Oct. 28 on I‑59 north of Heidelberg, Mississippi, scattering crates labeled "live animals" and allowing several monkeys to escape. Early reports from the truck’s occupants and law enforcement said the primates were aggressive and infected with hepatitis C, herpes and COVID‑19, and deputies killed multiple animals at the scene; those infection claims have since been retracted. Tulane University’s National Biomedical Research Center said the macaques had recent health checks confirming they were pathogen‑free and that Tulane did not own or transport the animals, though it sent experts to assist. Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson said three monkeys remained at large and, citing their aggressiveness, said they still needed to be "neutralized" as searchers in protective gear and law enforcement set traps and combed nearby fields. Authorities have not clarified who owned or was transporting the animals or their intended destination, and conflicting accounts about infection status and how many animals were killed have left key questions unanswered as the search continues.