A homeowner in Mississippi shot and killed one of the monkeys that had escaped from an overturned truck last week, citing concerns for her children’s safety. Jessica Bond Ferguson, awakened by her son’s sighting of a monkey near their Heidelberg home, took action to protect her family by firing her gun at the animal as recommended due to potential diseases carried by the monkeys.
Following the incident, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the discovery of the monkey on the homeowner’s property, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took custody of the animal. The homeowner, Bond, explained her actions as a mother’s instinct to safeguard her children.
Notably, the Rhesus monkeys were being transported from the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, although the university clarified they were not the owners or handlers of the monkeys. The truck, carrying 21 monkeys, overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg, resulting in several casualties among the monkeys.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred approximately 160 kilometers from the state capital, Jackson. Despite initial concerns about disease transmission, Tulane officials confirmed the monkeys were pathogen-free, but the sheriff emphasized the need to “neutralize” the animals due to their known aggressive behavior.
Rhesus macaques, weighing around seven kilograms, are extensively studied animals in medical research. Authorities are currently searching for the escaped monkeys, as they are known to be aggressive and potentially pose a threat to the public. The recent incident echoes a similar event in South Carolina where Rhesus macaques escaped due to human error.
