--- title: "Feds Investigating Why Escaped Lab Monkeys Were Shot to Death" description: "Federal investigators are looking into why, exactly, the cops who captured the escaped monkeys chose to shoot them to death." date: "2022-01-27" modified: "2022-01-27" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/escaped-monkeys-shot" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "animal cruelty" - "animal testing" - "macaques" - "peta" --- # Feds Investigating Why Escaped Lab Monkeys Were Shot to Death ![Federal investigators are looking into why, exactly, the cops who captured the escaped monkeys chose to shoot them to death.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* The USDA is looking into why the three crab-eating macaques who escaped after a traffic accident in Pennsylvania were shot by state police. There's still a lot that we don't know about the saga. The monkeys had just arrived in the US from the African island of Mauritius and were destined for a secured facility to await their routine 30-day quarantine. Over the weekend, the [beloved trio of outlaws escaped]() in Danville, Pennsylvania after a trailer carrying them and 97 of their comrades — who are all thankfully [still alive and accounted for]() — crashed into another vehicle on the I-80. After the story went viral, [news broke that they had been recaptured]() and "euthanized" — though initially, it wasn't clear that they had been shot. Then PETA lodged a complaint, which [*PennLive* acquired](), against the state police who seemingly shot the monkeys either during or after their recapture. In the complaint, Alka Chandna, PETA's vice president of laboratory investigations cases, alleged that the shooting may constitute a violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) or other regulations meant to protect animals. According to the USDA's website, the agency [generally enforces AWA violations]() against facilities that have had repeat complaints, but this case may qualify as "high-priority" since it involves "animal suffering (death or severe injury)" and "potential public or animal safety or health concerns." The drama surrounding the case thickened when [tabloids claimed]() that a woman who came in contact with one of the escaped macaques had become sick. But then the woman admitted that she wasn't actually sick, telling Danville's *The Daily Item* newspaper that [she is doing just fine](), and was given antibiotics and rabies shots as precautionary measures. That hasn't stopped the rumor mill from churning, however, with conspiracy theorists [claiming]() the monkeys were being quarantined after deliberately being infected with viruses. Everything about this story — from the not-so-gentle "euthanizing" of the macaques to it being used as conspiracy fodder — is a tragedy, and reveals just how easy it is for facts to get misconstrued in an information vacuum. **READ MORE:** [USDA to ‘look into’ treatment of lab monkeys at Pa. crash site]() \[*PennLive*\] **And some fun animal news:** [*Scientist Who Trained Rats to Play “Doom II” Says He May Start Twitch Channel*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()