The primates broke free during a truck crash in Mississippi and were later euthanized after the driver told authorities they were infectious

Police in the US state of Mississippi have tracked down and killed several research monkeys after they escaped from an overturned truck on Tuesday.

A group of research monkeys on the loose in the US state of Mississippi have been tracked down and killed after the truck carrying them overturned on Tuesday. The primates were euthanized because the truck driver erroneously told police they were infected with diseases such as Covid and posed a danger to humans.

The Jasper County Sheriff's Department stated on Facebook that the crash occurred on Tuesday morning along Interstate 59 near Heidelberg, around 160km from Jackson. The vehicle was carrying rhesus monkeys associated with Tulane University's National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans.

The department said the truck's driver told deputies the animals were "dangerous and posed a threat to humans" and that they carried diseases including hepatitis C, herpes, and Covid, and should only be handled using protective equipment. Acting on that information, law enforcement said it took "appropriate actions." Officials later confirmed that most of the monkeys were "destroyed."

Tulane University, however, has said the monkeys did not belong to it directly and were "not infectious." In a statement, the university claimed the primates in question belong to another entity and have not been exposed to any infectious agent. "We are actively collaborating with local authorities and are sending a team of animal care experts to assist," the university said.

The sheriff's department stated that there were three monkeys on the loose after officials were able to get inside the overturned truck and conduct a correct count. It later reported that all but one of the escaped monkeys had been killed.

Video from the scene shows wooden crates labeled "live animals" scattered on the roadside, with monkeys moving through tall grass. The sheriff's department said it had contacted an animal disposal company to remove carcasses from the area.

The rhesus monkey, a species commonly used in biomedical research, typically weighs about 5-7 #kg and is usually around 50cm in length. The New England Primate Conservancy describes them as "curious" and "highly intelligent," adding that the species is highly adaptable to coexisting alongside humans.

(RT.com)