JASPER COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) - A truck hauling 21 monkeys to a testing facility in Florida overturned in Jasper County, Mississippi, on October 28, 2025.

According to the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, the accident occurred on Interstate 59 near the 117-mile marker just north of Heidelberg. They said six Rhesus monkeys from Tulane University escaped.

Officials said the monkeys carried hepatitis C, herpes and COVID-19. They said five out of the six monkeys that escaped were destroyed.

"We have been in contact with an animal disposal company to help handle the situation," officials said.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) also responded to the scene. Authorities are searching for one monkey that's still on the loose. Neighbors should not approach the monk

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