Lab Monkeys Escape Crates Following Vehicle Crash; All Primates Recovered

Officials have successfully recovered a group of monkeys that escaped from a trailer carrying 100 Macaques following a collision with a dump truck in Pennsylvania.

Andrea Pelachick and Lauren Lesher with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) troopers confirmed on Twitter that "All monkeys have been accounted for."

A Dodge truck carrying the primates, cynomolgus macaques to a lab testing facility crashed with a dump truck on a road in Montour County on Friday. The Dodge trailer was on Interstate 80 when the driver, Cody M. Brooks of Florida attempted to turn at a ramp amd collided with a dump truck.

The collision ejected crates full of monkeys and left them scattered all over the road. A few monkeys managed to escape the crates into the surrounding area.

Since the monkeys were not domesticated and were in an unknown environment, Lesher said they were concerned as to how the animals would react to approaching humans. State troopers urged the public not to approach the animals Friday and call 911 on sightings.

"If the public spots one, please keep your distance and call 911 immediately. Health and safety of residents and visitors is our top priority," Trooper Pelachick and Lesher initially said on Twitter.

Valley Township firefighters used thermal imaging and a helicopter to locate the monkeys while troopers conducted a ground search, ABC News reported. By Saturday morning, few of the escapees were recaptured and only one was unaccounted for. Later that night, the last monkey on the loose was captured.

All the 100 monkeys were recovered but, three primates had to be euthanized.

"All 100 of the cynomolgus macaques are accounted for; three are deceased," said Kristen Nordlund, a spokesperson for the CDC told the Daily Item. "A public health risk assessment was conducted by the CDC, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pennsylvania Department of Health and three of the monkeys were humanely euthanized according to American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines."

Cynomolgus monkeys are often used in medical studies. The name of the research facility where the monkeys were headed was not identified.

The CDC, the Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Game Commission assisted in the search for the escaped primates.