After a truck overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg, Mississippi, rhesus monkeys escaped into roadside grass, with wooden crates labeled “live animals” crumpled and strewn about. The Jasper County sheriff’s department said the animals were “aggressive” and reported that all but one of the escapees were killed. While the sheriff’s office initially warned of diseases including herpes, Tulane University said the monkeys had not been exposed to any infectious agent. The animals were housed at Tulane’s National Biomedical Research Center. The cause, about 100 miles from Jackson, remains unclear.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.