Escaped Mississippi monkeys are herpes-free, school claims. Still a threat?

A generic picture depicting a rhesus macaque.(Image credit: eROMAZe via Getty Images)

A group of laboratory monkeys, earlier considered to harbor multiple ailments, got away from a vehicle in Mississippi after a collision — spurring officials to put down several of the creatures. Nevertheless, the degree of their threat remains uncertain.

The vehicle, which carried rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) coming from Tulane University, was involved in an accident in Jasper County on Tuesday (Oct. 28), and a number of monkeys managed to escape — though specific figures remain unreported.

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“The specific primates are property of another organization & are not diseased,” Tulane University communicated via X on Tuesday. “We’re vigorously cooperating with local officials & will deploy a team of animal experts to provide assistance if required.”

Following the declaration from Tulane University, the sheriff’s department specified that the truck’s operator had indicated to officials that the monkeys posed a danger.

“The individual driving the truck informed local officers that the monkeys were hazardous and represented a menace to people,” the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department reported through a post on Facebook. “We acted in an appropriate way after receiving such details from the individual in charge of moving the monkeys. He [the driver] further stated that personnel [had] to wear PPE in order to handle the monkeys.”

Sheriff Randy Johnson has subsequently stated that the monkeys still needed to be “taken out of the equation” because of their propensity to be aggressive, according to information from the Associated Press on Wednesday (Oct. 29).

Are rhesus macaques dangerous?

Rhesus macaques are average-sized monkeys, and they might present a hazard to people if they were to decide to lash out. All the same, it is not clear if the escapees were apt to do that.

The sheriff’s department shared through Facebook that the escaped monkeys each had a weight of about 40 pounds (18 kilograms). This would be exceedingly hefty for a rhesus macaque and likely an exaggeration, if the individuals were not overweight. Male rhesus macaques, being larger than females, generally have a weight of about 17 pounds (7.7 kg), according to data from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, while the New England Primate Conservancy specifies that these creatures can reach weights of up to 22 pounds (10 kg).

Aggressiveness is an inherent element of macaque conduct, and even though they do not frequently target people, they repeatedly fight between themselves. The New England Primate Conservancy specifies that clashes among monkeys can be frantic and vicious, with rhesus macaques going for the eyes, face, limbs and genitals in order to harm or eliminate other monkeys.

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Put differently, rhesus macaques may be hazardous if they feel inclined to be. Although they also exhibit an array of serene behaviors, such as socializing.

A generic depiction of a rhesus macaque located in India, among numerous countries located in Asia where this species habitually occupies.

Rhesus macaques possess the most expansive geographic range of all non-human primates and are often spotted living near human settlements throughout their natural habitat of Asia. They’re commonly regarded as vermin as a result of their inclination to pilfer our food. Macaque types occasionally nip or strike individuals, yet this is due to them habituating themselves too much to humans inside our constantly growing urban zones and shedding their inherent apprehension of people.

Macaques in laboratories, much like those that broke free in Mississippi, have traditionally been known to be aggressive, though specialists have additionally asserted that such aggression might be a consequence of inadequate management and handling methods. Laboratory monkeys are at times hand-raised by people, and this can lead to numerous aberrant mannerisms not frequently apparent in the wild or in captive monkeys reared by other monkeys, for example self-harm and intensified aggressiveness toward people. Individual monkeys also have their own distinct personality. Furthermore, captive monkeys might have comparatively tranquil and docile temperaments.

There have been no accounts recorded of the monkeys that got away assaulting people before they were killed. Tulane University has moreover confirmed that the monkeys had “not been exposed to any infectious agent,” as stated in the Guardian.

Numerous facts continue to be hazy with regards to the monkeys, encompassing who was the owner, who had been charged with transporting them, their ultimate destination, as well as the intent for which they were being utilized, according to the Associated Press.

Lab monkeys

Rhesus macaques are the most typical monkeys employed for experimentation within laboratories. Experimenting on such monkeys might be immensely important to scientific research and has brought about a plethora of milestones, which include the advancement of various vaccines, notably mRNA vaccines intended to combat COVID-19.

Employing monkeys in laboratories also is controversial. For example, during 2023, a large number of scientists issued a demand to put an end to “inhumane” monkey experiments taking place at Harvard Medical School and other venues. Those comprised studies concerning visual identification where juvenile monkeys had their eyes stitched shut through their initial year.

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This is not the sole occasion that lab monkeys have absconded. To illustrate, back in 2020, a band of macaques allegedly escaped from a laboratory located in India and proceeded to take hold of multiple COVID-19 blood samples in the aftermath of attacking a laboratory assistant, Sky News reported. More lately, a group of 43 monkeys escaped the confines of a lab within South Carolina and made their escape, according to the Associated Press.

The offspring of monkeys that got away are similarly in residence at the Silver Springs State Park situated in Florida. During the 1930s, a river boat captain involved in commercial business put six macaques on a small island as a promotional ploy designed to attract tourism, without realizing that rhesus macaques can swim. The monkeys then exited the island and expanded across the river’s length.

Patrick PesterSocial Links NavigationTrending News Writer

Patrick Pester functions as the trending news author employed at Live Science. His works have been featured across alternate scientific websites, such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick re-qualified as a journalist following spending his early career span functioning in zoos and wildlife conservation. He received the Master’s Excellence Scholarship for undertaking studies within Cardiff University in which he completed a master’s degree regarding international journalism. He has furthermore acquired a subsequent master’s degree pertaining to biodiversity, evolution, along with conservation operating through Middlesex University London. When he does not write news, Patrick looks into the buying and selling of human remains.

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