Three aggressive monkeys remain at large after a truck carrying 21 primates from Tulane University’s controversial NIH-funded lab crashed in Mississippi, raising public safety concerns. The incident has drawn public attention to the ethical and safety issues surrounding animal research, with critics arguing for greater transparency and scrutiny of taxpayer-funded programs.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, which ‘eliminated’ five of the escaped 40-pound monkeys, initially said the driver of the truck told authorities the primates were dangerous, a threat to humans and required personal protective equipment (PPE) to handle. Tulane officials later confirmed that the monkeys in question were not carrying any diseases and had received recent checkups before leaving the facility, confirming they were pathogen-free.
Despite the university’s reassurances, the White Coat Waste Project, a nonprofit focused on eliminating wasteful government spending on animal testing, has been advocating for the cessation of funding for Tulane’s primate lab. The organization claims that the NIH annually allocates $35 million in taxpayer funds to Tulane for breeding thousands of primates and conducting wasteful and abusive experiments.
The identity of the owner and ‘original destination’ of the monkeys were not disclosed, citing transport contracts that prevent the disclosure of information for safety and proprietary reasons. PETA, an animal rights group, has called for full necropsies and veterinary records for the monkeys killed in the crash, emphasizing the public health implications of the situation.
While Tulane clarified that the monkeys were not being transported by the university and were not in its custody at the time of the crash, the incident highlights ongoing debates about the ethics of animal research and the need for transparency and accountability in taxpayer-funded programs.