HEIDELBERG, Mississippi — A cargo truck carrying several lab-bred rhesus monkeys overturned Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 59 near Heidelberg in Jasper County, the releasing the primates into the wild, according to the Associated Press .

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Department reported that all but one of the escaped animals were located and euthanized by the end of the day, following concerns over their aggression and potential health risks, People reported .

Though initial law-enforcement posts claimed the primates were infected with diseases such as hepatitis C, herpes and COVID-19, a spokesperson for Tulane University stated that the monkeys were “not infectious” and were owned by another entity, not the institution itself, The Guardian reported .

AP said Mississippi wildlife

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