Three monkeys infected with various viruses escaped from a truck wreck in Mississippi, but only one remains at large, the Jasper County Sheriff revealed.
The sheriff released a statement by Tulane National Biomedical Research Center, reassuring people that the monkeys aren't infectious to humans after several posts about how aggressive and infected they are went viral.
"The driver of the truck told local law enforcement that the monkeys were dangerous and posed a threat to humans," the Sheriff's Department wrote on October 28.
The sheriff noted, "We took the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys. He also stated that you had wear PPE equipment to handle the monkeys."
A statement from Tulane, shared on the Jasper County Sheriff's Facebook page, sought to calm fears.
“Non-human primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery,” it said.
“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.”
Earlier, the Sheriff's Department revealed that the monkeys were "on the loose."
“A truck hauling monkeys from Tulane University has overturned around the 117 mile marker North of Heidelberg," the original statement said. "It has been reported that several monkeys are on the loose. Do not approach the monkeys if you see one. Call 911. They do pose potential health threats and are aggressive.”
Then the updates started. "There are three monkeys still on the loose after the officials from Tulane were able to get inside the truck and get a correct count. Officials from Tulane arrived this evening rather than tomorrow as previously reported," wrote the sheriff.
The sheriff added, “We are doing our best to update the public, but we are still in the midst of gathering all pertinent information. We will continue to release updates as we get more information. All but one of the escaped monkeys have been destroyed. We have been in contact with an animal disposal company to help handle the situation."
"Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries is also on site with our local law enforcement. We are continuing to look for the one monkey that is still on the loose.”
