Does anyone have getting attacked by angry monkeys with STDs on their bingo card? Because in Mississippi, this insanely scary scenario could be a reality. A semi-truck carrying live animals flipped on the highway, allowing monkeys with diseases to escape. 

Aggressive monkeys escape semi-truck crash in Mississippi 

I’m willing to bet that when men and women became police officers in Mississippi, they never expected to fight 43 angry monkeys. On top of their aggression, the primates were riddled with diseases. 

A semi-truck was transporting the monkeys that have COVID, herpes, and hepatitis C when it flipped on Interstate 59, about 100 miles from Jackson. 

The doors on the back of the trailer opened as witnesses saw wooden crates and monkeys peeking out of tall grass. Then the truck driver immediately shared that the monkeys are dangerous and pose a threat to humans. 

Monkeys are often transported from the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans. But these weren’t owned by the university or being transported by it.

A spokesperson from Tulane shared, “Nonhuman primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery.

This is a common practice among research organizations. On Oct. 28, a vehicle was transporting 21 Rhesus Macaques when an accident occurred on I-59 in Mississippi.

The nonhuman primates were not being transported by Tulane, not owned by Tulane, and not in Tulane’s custody. The primates in question were not carrying any diseases and had received recent checkups confirming that they were pathogen-free.

Although Tulane did not transport or own the nonhuman primates at the time of the incident, we sent a team of animal care experts to assist in this tragic incident. Questions regarding the missing nonhuman primates and other details of this case should be referred to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.”

According to WSB TV, members of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries, and other law enforcement officials responded to the scene. They took proper precautions with personal protective equipment (PPE). 

It’s unclear how many monkeys were in the tractor-trailer, but most that escaped were ‘destroyed’. Other sources claim they were euthanized, which sounds nicer. 

However, three of the monkeys that escaped from the semi-truck are still at large. Reportedly, they aren’t infectious. A team from Tulane was sent to pick up the surviving monkeys that didn’t escape their cages. 

Police officers are urging residents to be on the lookout and to lock their doors. If you spot a monkey, don’t approach it. Call 911 instead.