Rescued Monkey Finds Sanctuary: The Story of Forrest's Journey to Popcorn Park Animal Refuge
The last monkey that escaped from a transport van during a crash in Mississippi has been safely recovered and will now reside at an animal sanctuary in New Jersey. The van was carrying 21 rhesus macaque monkeys from Tulane University for research purposes when it overturned on the highway. Conflicting reports about the monkeys' conditions led to the shooting of five monkeys by the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, with 13 remaining in cages. Three monkeys escaped, and two were shot by locals after the crash.
The Popcorn Park Animal Refuge in New Jersey announced the safe recovery of the final monkey, named Forrest, who was the last escapee to be found. Forrest could not return to the research program due to his extended time outside the facility, so the refuge offered him a lifelong sanctuary. Upon arrival at the refuge, Forrest only had a tattooed identification number, "NI 62."
Forrest is now adjusting to his new home at the Monkey House in the refuge, getting to know his caretakers and fellow monkeys. He is showing signs of comfort and confidence in his new environment, enjoying favorite foods like grapes and starting to vocalize.
Lisa Jones-Engel, a senior science advisor at PETA, praised Forrest's survival as a rare act of mercy in a system that relies on violence. She emphasized the need to shut down the primate testing industry to prevent such incidents in the future.
The monkeys were from the Tulane National Primate Research Center, funded by the NIH, but Tulane officials stated they did not own the monkeys or handle their transport. Following the incident, PETA and the White Coat Waste Project called for the CDC to stop NIH funding for primate testing, leading to the CDC agreeing to phase out experiments on monkeys.
PETA celebrated the decision as a victory for animals and science, urging the administration to close primate centers, end the monkey-import pipeline, and focus on human-relevant research. The CDC has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.