Early Sunday morning, a woman near Heidelberg, Mississippi says she feared for the safety of her children and shot one of the escapees from a recent truck accident. The monkeys, traveling in a truck that overturned in the region, were research animals being transported when the crash occurred.
What Happened at the Residence
Jessica Bond Ferguson says her 16-year-old son alerted her to a monkey in their yard. She came outside with her phone and a firearm and spotted the animal about 60 feet (18 metres) away. Because residents had been warned that the monkeys might carry diseases, she fired at the animal:
“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” she told the Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”
Bond Ferguson is a professional chef, aged 35, and has five children ranging from ages 4 to 16.
Official Response
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed via social media that a homeowner found one of the escaped monkeys Sunday morning. They stated that the animal was taken into the care of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. The sheriff’s office declined to provide further details.
Before she approached the yard, Bond Ferguson says she called the police and was told to keep an eye on the monkey. Concerned that the animal might flee and threaten children nearby, she decided to act. “If it attacked somebody’s kid, and I could have stopped it, that would be a lot on me,” she said.
Background: The Truck Crash and Monkeys’ Escape
Who Owned the Monkeys?
The monkeys were housed at Tulane University’s National Biomedical Research Centre in New Orleans, Louisiana. The university clarified that these primates did not belong to the university and were not being transported by it.
The Crash on Interstate 59
A truck carrying 21 rhesus macaques overturned on Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Of the 21, 13 were found at the crash scene and delivered to their original destination. Five were killed during the hunt for the escapees, and three remained on the loose prior to Sunday.
Species and Risk Profile
Rhesus monkeys usually weigh around 16 pounds (7.2 kg). They are among the most frequently studied animals in medical research. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys moving through tall grass beside the interstate, with wooden crates marked “live animals” overturned and scattered.
Health and Behaviour Considerations
Sheriff Randy Johnson stated that while Tulane reported the monkeys were pathogen-free, they still had to be “neutralised” because of their aggressive nature. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks noted that rhesus macaques are “known to be aggressive,” and conservation officers joined sheriff’s officials in the search.
Past Precedents
The search echoes a similar incident about a year ago when 43 rhesus macaques escaped from a research compound in South Carolina after an enclosure wasn’t properly secured. Traps were set up there to capture the animals.
