JASPER COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) – The third monkey that escaped after a crash in Jasper County was recovered alive.
According to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks (MDWFP), the third monkey was recovered alive near the crash site on November 5, 2025, and is now in possession of the wildlife transport company.
Brandy Smith, a Jasper County resident, said she was driving home on November 5, 2025, when she noticed County Road 35 in Vossburg was blocked off by law enforcement. Smith said she then spotted the monkey sitting on the railing of her family’s fish camp, eating acorns.
Smith said two men, who identified themselves as part of the company responsible for transporting the monkeys, arrived at the scene and fired three tranquilizer darts before the monkey was finally captured alive.
Smith suspected the animal had been on her property since November 4, 2025, after she heard something on her roof.
“Me and my son and my husband have been looking every day, because we figured it’s about a quarter of a mile from the site through the woods here. So, we knew that it was just a matter of time before he showed up or one of them showed up,” she said. “It was totally wild. It’s something unheard of. I was anxious and really worried, because I have dogs, and, you know, they said to watch out because they were aggressive. So, I was really concerned about my animals.”
The initial crash occurred in Jasper County on October 28, 2025, on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Bait and traps have been placed along the wreck site. The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) has said it was investigating the cause of the crash.
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A truck hauling monkeys to a testing facility in Florida overturned in Jasper County on October 28, 2025. (Courtesy: Jasper Co. Sheriff’s Office) -
This photo provided by Scotty Ray Boyd shows an escaped monkey sitting in the grass Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Heidelberg, Miss. (Scotty Ray Boyd via AP) -
This photo provided by Scotty Ray Boyd shows an overturned truck which had been transporting several monkeys, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Heidelberg, Miss. (Scotty Ray Boyd via AP) -
People wearing protective clothing search along a highway in Heidelberg, Miss., on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, near the site of an overturned truck that was carrying research monkeys. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates)
According to MDWFP, the truck was transported Rhesus Macaques from Tulane National Biomedical Research Center. The crash led to the escape of eight of the 21 monkeys on board. Five of the eight were killed at the crash site, and three escaped. Two of the three monkeys that escaped were later killed by Jasper County residents.
Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson said the driver of the truck initially told his deputies the monkeys were carrying infectious diseases, including hepatitis. Tulane University, which originally housed the animals, stated the monkeys were free of pathogens.
Officials with PreLabs, LLC, confirmed that the monkeys belonged to the company.
“We are cooperating with authorities and reviewing all safety procedures to ensure the continued wellbeing of both the animals and the community,” the company said in a statement to WJTV 12 News.