HEIDELBERG, MISSISSIPPI – PETA has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after an October 28 truck crash in Jasper County, Mississippi, left eight rhesus macaque monkeys loose—and seven of them dead.
Police shot five, civilians killed two more, and the last was captured after eight days. PETA now demands that the USDA investigate the network of companies responsible, citing “gross negligence and repeated violations” of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
PETA: Injured Monkeys Likely Denied Care
According to PETA’s filing, the truck’s trailer and crates were badly damaged in the crash. Monkeys that remained confined “were almost certainly injured,” yet there’s no record of immediate veterinary care as federal rules require.
The complaint also accuses involved parties of unlawful euthanasia—shooting monkeys instead of following USDA-approved protocols—and of unsafe transport, including unsecured crates and lack of temperature control.
Troubling Track Record Across the Primate Supply Chain
- BIOQUAL Laboratory (Rockville, MD)
The monkeys were bound for BIOQUAL, a lab cited 16 times since 2014 for Animal Welfare Act violations. Formerly known as SEMA, the facility was exposed by Dr. Jane Goodall for keeping chimpanzees—including infants—in solitary cages.
- Wildlife Transportation Facilitators
The transporter previously hauled four elderly monkeys for New York University; one was in such poor condition upon arrival that he was euthanized immediately.
- Tulane University (New Orleans, LA)
Tulane, where the monkeys originated, has a long violation history for unsafe housing, filthy enclosures, and failing to protect primates from freezing temperatures.
- PreLabs Inc. (Animal Broker)
PreLabs admitted ownership of the monkeys in this crash and was previously cited after inspectors found a rhesus macaque with “about 90% hair loss” over her body.
Outdated TB Testing Raises Bio-Risk
PETA also obtained veterinary certificates showing each monkey received only one tuberculosis skin test—a screening PETA says is “outdated and unreliable.” The group warns that monkeys moved between labs under such testing may carry latent TB or other infectious pathogens.
“They Survived Only to Be Shot Dead” — PETA Speaks Out
“Monkeys who were almost certainly born at a national primate center paid for by taxpayers survived that horror only to end up shot dead on the side of a highway,” said Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, PETA’s Senior Science Advisor on Primate Experimentation.
“No federally regulated entity should get away with evading accountability for endangering animals or the public.”
PETA’s complaint could prompt a full USDA inspection and potential penalties for all entities involved. Animal-welfare advocates are calling for stricter rules on primate transport and more frequent inspections of federally licensed labs.
