Escaped monkeys ‘destroyed’ after police mistakenly told they had herpes and COVID

The driver allegedly told the officers the monkeys were a threat to humans because they had herpes and COVID.

Oct 29, 2025 - 19:00
Escaped monkeys ‘destroyed’ after police mistakenly told they had herpes and COVID

Several monkeys were “destroyed” after they got loose Tuesday morning and Mississippi law enforcement officers were mistakenly told they were dangerous.

The rhesus monkeys were being transported when the truck carrying them crashed in Jasper County, Mississippi, about 75 miles east of Jackson, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Tulane has released the statement below . The driver of the truck told local law enforcement that the monkeys were...Posted by Jasper County Sheriff's Department, Mississippi on Tuesday, October 28, 2025

The vehicle’s driver told deputies that the primates posed a threat to humans; that they were aggressive; that they had hepatitis C, herpes, and Covid; and that they would require personal protective equipment to handle, the sheriff’s department said on Facebook.

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