Monkeys steal coronavirus patient blood samples from lab tech in India
It sounds bananas, but authorities in India say a troop of monkeys attacked a medical official and stole blood samples belonging to patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Earlier this week, a lab technician at a state-run medical college in Meerut was walking across campus when some rhesus macaques converged on him.
The monkeys then snatched away blood samples that the lab tech was carrying that came from four COVID-19 patients who are undergoing treatment, according to Reuters.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a monkey chewing on one of the sample collection kits while sitting at the top of a tree, according to India.com.
In addition, the monkeys left parts of the stolen kits scattered on the ground, concerning local officials.
Dr. S. K. Garg, an official at the college where the monkey attack occurred, told Reuters he wasn’t sure if the monkeys might contract the coronavirus if they have come into contact with infected blood.
“No evidence has been found that monkeys can contract the infection,” Garg said.
SkyNews reports that since lockdown measures were imposed two months ago in the area, monkeys have been congregating in places that are normally crowded with humans.
However, some observers believe that many of the primates are struggling because the human food they normally consume has been severely reduced.
Naturally, Twitter users went ape for the story.
Did anyone have Monkeys attacking lab assistant on their bingo card? i had pigs with AR -15s and Murder Hornets but no Monkeys making off with slide samples 😳https://t.co/lUkrzl7aNZ
— Raquel Perazzo (@raquelmperazzo) May 29, 2020
‼️Just when you thought today couldn’t get any weirder: agang of monkeys attacked a laboratory assistant in #India and escaped with a batch of #coronavirus blood test samples.😳https://t.co/6Bv8GCncdQ
— Dena Grayson, MD, PhD (@DrDenaGrayson) May 29, 2020
Coronavirus: Monkeys 'escape with COVID-19 samples' after attacking lab assistant | World News | Sky News...
And 2020 wins award for ‘most disaster movie opening sequences in real life, ever’ https://t.co/kmt9JLau3e— Adrian Schiller (@Grumbletwat) May 29, 2020
Sorry my apocalyptic hellscape bingo card is all full up https://t.co/5U10GNzEoq
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) May 29, 2020
In a shocking incident, a monkey snatched blood samples of Covid-19 patients being taken to the LLRM lab. Inquiry set up & the lab technician has been asked to give written explanation about why did he continue to make a video instead of asking for help.#Meerut#Coronaviruspic.twitter.com/N2bCeO2QA2
— Ishita Bhatia (@IshitaBhatiaTOI) May 29, 2020
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE MONKEYS ESCAPING A LAB WITH COVID-19 TEST SAMPLES
— 💀BONES Draws Nami & Robin💀 (@beanzaru) May 29, 2020
*monkeys watching Planet of the Apes*
*slowly look at each other*
You know, we can make this shit happen in real life.
*destroy lab, attack humans & run with Covid samples in hand*— mᎥᏦᎬ ᏞᎥᏆᎬᏒᎪᏞᏞᎽ✪ (@SkippyMcGizzard) May 29, 2020
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.