Three monkeys are still unaccounted for after a truck carrying 21 animals from Tulane University in New Orleans tipped over on a Mississippi highway on Tuesday. This incident is related to a contentious program supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as noted by the White Coat Waste Project, which advocates against wasteful government spending on animal research.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office reported that five of the 40-pound monkeys were “eliminated” after the accident. Initially, the truck driver informed authorities that the escaped primates posed a danger to humans and needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for handling. However, Tulane later clarified that the monkeys had been tested and were disease-free before they were transported.
The university confirmed that 13 monkeys remained in cages at the location of the accident and have since been returned to their owners, who are transporting them to their intended destination.
Details about the owner of the monkeys or their original destination have not been disclosed. In a statement, Tulane explained that transporting research animals is standard practice, usually governed by legally binding agreements that protect sensitive information for safety and confidentiality.
The White Coat Waste Project emphasized its ongoing efforts to cut taxpayer funding for Tulane’s primate lab. Following the accident, they sought to redirect funding that typically goes to NIH.
Justin Goodman, executive vice president of the group, criticized the NIH’s funding system, arguing that it supports harmful experiments on thousands of primates at Tulane, where animals are subjected to severe conditions and dangerous pathogens. He highlighted specific resulting situations, claiming that the NIH had recently renewed substantial funding despite promises otherwise.
Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel from PETA called for transparency following the accident, urging authorities to release veterinary records for the deceased monkeys. She expressed frustration over Tulane’s lack of communication regarding the monkeys’ ownership and the potential diseases they might carry, stating that the claim of “animal safety” is a poor justification for secrecy.
The NIH and the office of Health and Human Services did not respond to immediate requests for comments on this matter. Meanwhile, local law enforcement, along with the Mississippi State Highway Patrol and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, are conducting investigations into the accident.
