Last Monkey on the Loose Captured in Mississippi
People wearing protective clothing search along a highway in Heidelberg, Mississippi, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates)
Authorities in Mississippi have confirmed that the final monkey still missing after last week’s highway crash has been safely captured. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks said Thursday that the animal was located after a nearby resident spotted it and alerted officials. “The monkey was successfully recovered,” the department said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Lt. Col. Chris Reed told the Clarion Ledger that the rhesus monkey was captured alive on Wednesday, marking the end of a tense search following the Oct. 28 truck crash on Interstate 59. The truck, which had been carrying multiple monkeys, overturned near Vossburg, releasing several of the animals into the surrounding area.
Five monkeys were killed during the immediate response as law enforcement scrambled to contain the situation. Body camera footage showed a chaotic scene, with frightened monkeys sprinting across the grassy median and darting toward passing traffic. Two monkeys that initially escaped were later shot and killed by civilians who claimed they acted out of concern for local safety. Officials had previously warned residents not to approach the animals, describing them as potentially aggressive.
The final escapee was found near a home east of the crash site on Wednesday afternoon. Resident Brandy Smith said she noticed the monkey after her dog began barking and immediately contacted authorities. Workers connected to one of the transport companies arrived at the scene and used a tranquilizer to subdue the animal safely.
The monkeys had been housed at Tulane University’s National Primate Research Center in Louisiana, which supplies research animals to scientific institutions. However, Tulane has clarified that it was not involved in the transport operation and that the monkeys did not belong to the university.
Officials have not yet released details about the condition of the surviving animals or the cause of the crash, which remains under investigation.
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