Montour County is located in central Pennsylvania. It is also not, as far as we know, the natural habitat of Macaca fascicularis, also known as the cynomolgus monkey or crab-eating macaque. Said species is generally found in Southeast Asia, where it subsists on a blend of fruits, vegetables and meat — including as its name suggests, crabs.
They are also frequently used in scientific and medical research, including work that relates to the ongoing pandemic, which explains why 100 of them were on a trailer attached to a truck making its way across Pennsylvania last week. As The New York Times reports, that’s when the truck collided with another vehicle — no humans were injured in the crash — and a number of monkeys escaped into the wild.
All in all, four monkeys escaped from the trailer; three were eventually recovered, but one remains unaccounted for. Pennsylvania state troopers took to social media to update the public on the situation.
“There is still one monkey unaccounted for, but we are asking that no one attempt to look for or capture the animal,” they wrote. “Anyone who sees or locates the monkey is asked not to approach, attempt to catch, or come in contact with the monkey.”
Will the last monkey be recovered? It’s eminently possible that this could become the stuff of urban (or suburban) legends.
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