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Locals have been warned to watch out as an "aggressive" monkey has escaped and is now on the loose . Adding to this, the monkey is understood to be carrying hepatitis C, herpes and Covid-19. The truck was loaded with caged Rehsus monkeys when it crashed on Interstate 59, north of Heidelberg, in Mississippi, US. It was transporting the monkeys to a testing facility in Florida, Connecticut news outlet WFSB reported. While there was 21 of the monkeys on the truck, only six managed to escape. Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson told the outlet: "The monkey that got away actually crossed interstate, went out into a wooded area". The authorities shared a Facebook post, warning locals of "potential health threats". The post read: "The driver of the truck told local law enforcement that the monkeys were dangerous and posed a threat to humans. We took the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys. He also stated that you had to wear PPE equipment to handle the monkeys". According to official reports, the monkeys were being transported from Tulane University. They were traveling to a non-Tulane-affiliated location. The truck they escaped from were not a Tulane-mandated transportation device. University authorities said: "The primates in question belong to another entity". Tulane said in a statement on X that the monkeys are not infectious to humans and would be safe to the locals. They wrote: "The primates...aren't infectious. We're actively collaborating with local authorities & will send a team of animal care experts to assist as needed". Tulane told The Independent that the monkeys "have not been exposed to any infectious agent". Since the announcement, it has been confirmed that most of the monkeys have since been captured. However, it is noted that one is still roaming and on the loose. Tulane said: "All but one of the escaped monkeys have been destroyed. We have been in contact with an animal disposal company to help handle the situation". At the time of the emergency animal organisations such as Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries attended the scene. Tulane will send a team to pick up the monkeys that are still caged on Wednesday, according to authorities. For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .
