An incident in the American state of Mississippi has caused local residents to feel anxious and sparked debates among specialists.
After a road accident, laboratory monkeys — rhesus macaques — escaped from an overturned truck, reports Live Science. Law enforcement, having received information about the danger posed by the animals, eliminated several of them, although the exact level of threat remains unclear.
The incident occurred in Jasper County. The truck was transporting the animals from Tulane University, but details of the transport — who owned the monkeys, where they were being taken, and why — remain a mystery. At the time of the news publication, according to the sheriff's department, three macaques were still at large.
The tragic turn of events was caused by conflicting information about the danger posed by the animals. Initially, the truck driver warned arriving police officers that the monkeys were aggressive and could be carriers of dangerous diseases, including herpes, COVID-19, and hepatitis C. This report served as the basis for the harsh measures taken.
"We took appropriate measures after receiving this information from the person transporting the monkeys," the sheriff's department explained.
However, later Tulane University refuted this information, stating on its social media account: "The primates in question belong to another institution and are not contagious." Sheriff Randy Johnson, for his part, insisted on the need to "neutralize" the monkeys, citing their aggressive nature.
How dangerous are rhesus macaques?
Rhesus macaques are medium-sized monkeys that are most often used in scientific research. They were specifically used to test mRNA vaccines for COVID-19. Their natural behavior includes aggression, especially in intra-group conflicts. Experts note that in fights, they can deliberately target the eyes, face, and limbs of their opponents.
At the same time, primate specialists point out that aggression towards humans is often a result of improper care. Laboratory monkeys raised by humans sometimes exhibit abnormal behavior — self-harm or increased hostility, which is not typical for their wild counterparts. It is important to emphasize: there have been no reports of the escaped macaques in Mississippi attempting to attack a human before they were killed.
Not the first escape and ethical debates
This is far from the first case of laboratory primates escaping. For example, in 2020, a troop of macaques in India escaped after attacking a lab technician, and recently in South Carolina, 43 monkeys escaped.
It is known that the population of rhesus macaques has successfully established itself in Silver Springs Park in Florida. It all started in the 1930s when a riverboat captain released six macaques on an island to attract tourists. He did not know that these monkeys could swim. Soon they left the island and settled along the riverbanks.
The use of monkeys in science continues to provoke sharp ethical debates. On one hand, it has led to numerous medical breakthroughs. On the other hand, hundreds of scientists around the world are calling for an end to experiments, citing the developed nervous system of primates and their ability to suffer.
