A warning has been issued to residents of a town in Pennsylvania not to approach a missing monkey after a crash involving a lorry towing a trailer containing around 100 cynomolgus monkeys destined for a laboratory. The crash occurred on Friday in Montour county and resulted in several monkeys escaping, with only one remaining unaccounted for as of Saturday. Officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, along with other agencies, are searching for the elusive primate amid freezing weather conditions.
The lorry was en route to a laboratory when it collided with a rubbish truck, causing the cage containing the monkeys to be damaged and the animals to escape. According to Trooper Andrea Pelachick, who spoke to The Daily Item, the lorry was carrying cynomolgus monkeys, which are often used in medical studies. A paper published on the website of the National Centre for Biotechnology Information confirms that cynomolgus monkeys are the most widely used primate in preclinical toxicology studies, suggesting that the monkeys were being transported for research purposes.
Search for Loose Monkey Continues After Truck Crash in Pennsylvania
State police have secured the scene and are working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to contain the situation. The condition and whereabouts of the remaining monkeys are currently unknown, with police searching for them using thermal imaging and a helicopter. Firefighters have also been involved in the search efforts, equipped with rifles.
Residents of the area have been urged not to approach the missing monkey, which is believed to be loose and potentially in contact with the surrounding environment. Anyone who spots or locates the monkey is advised not to attempt to capture it, but rather to call 911 immediately. Police are working to locate the missing monkey and contain the situation, but residents are being cautioned not to take matters into their own hands.
