Police ask people to avoid escaped monkey after truck carrying 100 monkeys crashes

State police in Pennsylvania have warned residents not to approach a monkey that escaped following a crash involving a truck that was transporting 100 monkeys to a lab.

The crash took place on the Interstate 80 exit in Montour County on Friday afternoon, leading to the escape of several monkeys. Following the crash, the police initiated a search for the missing animals in the freezing cold, assisted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and other authorities.

The search operation was largely successful: only one monkey remained unaccounted for as of Saturday morning.

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The cynomolgus macaque monkey, which still remains at large, could be a threat to residents, and police warned residents to refrain from attempting to capture it.

“Anyone who sees or locates the monkey is asked not to approach, attempt to catch, or come in contact with the monkey. Please call 911 immediately,” tweeted Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) troopers.

Part of the risk police say is due to the fact that animal is in unknown territory and could feel threatened if people approached it. Indeed, Trooper Lauren Lesher confirmed the same and advised residents to avoid it “due to it not being a domesticated animal and them being in an unknown territory. It is hard to say how they would react to a human approaching them.”

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The cynomolgus macaque monkeys had arrived to the US from Mauritius on Friday morning, and the 100 odd animals were being transported to a quarantine facility recognised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

It is understood that the monkeys were destined for a lab, but is not known as of now which lab they were headed to or what purposes. However, what is known is that cynomolgus macaque monkeys are the most widely used primate in preclinical toxicology studies, and it is likely that these monkeys were being transported for similar purposes.