HEIDELBERG, Miss. — Authorities are continuing their search for a third elusive monkey following the demise of a second primate that was shot, a week after these animals escaped from an overturned truck on a Mississippi highway.

According to Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson, a civilian shot the monkey after spotting it crossing the highway Monday evening, roughly a mile from the site of the original October 28 accident. A representative from the transport company retrieved the monkey’s remains after being contacted by the shooter.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks confirmed on Tuesday that while two of the escaped monkeys have been found dead, one remains on the loose. They have cautioned the public to avoid approaching the Rhesus monkeys due to their known aggressive behavior.

Earlier in the weekend, Jessica Bond Ferguson, concerned for her children’s safety, shot another escaped monkey after her teenage son spotted it near their home in Heidelberg. Ferguson mentioned that local residents had been warned about the potential disease risk posed by the monkeys, prompting her to act.

The incident began when a truck transporting 21 monkeys overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg, allowing several primates to escape. Footage from the scene depicted monkeys and their crates scattered in the grass beside the highway. Search teams, clad in protective gear, combed through the fields and woods in pursuit of the missing animals. Initially, five monkeys were reported dead and three unaccounted for, officials stated.

The monkeys had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations, according to the university. Tulane has said it wasn’t transporting the monkeys and they do not belong to the university. The remaining 13 monkeys arrived at their original destination last week, according to Tulane.

Prefabs, which describes itself on its website as a biomedical research support organization, said in a statement Monday that a vehicle transporting its non-human primates was involved in the crash and the animals were being lawfully transported to a licensed research facility. It stressed that the monkeys weren’t carrying any known diseases, but asked the public not to approach them as they were likely frightened and disoriented.

“We are cooperating with authorities and reviewing all safety procedures to ensure the continued well-being of both the animals and the community,” PreLabs said.

The escape is the latest glimpse into the secretive industry of animal research and the processes that allow key details of what happened to be kept from the public.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.