Deputies Kill Five Escaped Monkeys After False COVID Alert in Mississippi
By The Vagabond News Editor – Sudhir Choudhary
Chaos on the highway
A Mississippi sheriff’s department is under scrutiny after deputies fatally shot five rhesus monkeys that escaped from a transport truck following a highway accident—based on an incorrect report that the animals were carrying COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
The crash occurred on Interstate 59 near mile marker 117 in Jasper County on October 28, 2025, when a vehicle hauling laboratory primates overturned. Initial emergency dispatches described the animals as “infected and aggressive,” prompting deputies to pursue and kill them to “prevent public exposure.”
(NY Post)
Official confusion and contradiction
Soon after the incident, a spokesperson for Tulane University—initially named in police briefings as the owner of the monkeys—denied that the primates belonged to its research center. The university confirmed that none of the animals were infected or exposed to COVID-19, hepatitis C, or herpes as first claimed.
(Fox 10 TV)
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office later acknowledged that the “infection alert” had come from an “unverified transmission” between agencies and was not based on veterinary testing.
Fallout and investigation
Animal-rights organizations and local residents have condemned the shooting, calling it an unnecessary act driven by misinformation. PETA and the Mississippi Wildlife Alliance have demanded a full inquiry into how the erroneous health warning spread and who authorized the lethal response.
(People Magazine)
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said an internal review is underway to determine the chain of communication that led deputies to believe the animals were contagious. Officials have also confirmed that one monkey remains unaccounted for, though it is believed to be injured and unlikely to survive in the wild.
Wider implications
The case has reignited debate over the transport of laboratory animals on public roads and the protocols for disease-related emergency responses. Experts note that rhesus monkeys are routinely shipped between research institutions under strict containment standards—but confusion between cargo manifests and local responders can lead to “panic responses,” as seen here.
Veterinary virologist Dr. Elise Manning told The Vagabond News:
“The tragedy reflects how quickly misinformation can turn into lethal action when bio-risk procedures aren’t properly communicated.”
What happens next
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reviewing the trucking company’s permits.
- Jasper County’s Sheriff Office faces potential lawsuits under state animal-cruelty laws.
- Federal regulators are expected to issue interim guidance on incident response for escaped research animals.
