Mississippi Mother Shoots Escaped Monkey Out of Fear for Her Children

A mother from Mississippi reportedly shot and killed one of the monkeys that escaped after a truck accident last week, citing concerns for her children’s safety and that of her neighbors.

Jessica Bond Ferguson mentioned that on Sunday, while she was resting in bed, her 16-year-old son alerted her about a monkey wandering in their garden near Heidelberg. He quickly grabbed his cellphone and a firearm before going outside, finding the animal roughly 60 feet away.

Bond-Ferguson, a professional chef aged 35, acted because she felt her child’s safety was at risk. “I did what any other mother would do to protect my children,” she explained, noting that she has five kids between the ages of 4 and 16. “I fired the gun and it just stood there; when I fired again, it backed away and that’s when it fell.”

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a homeowner found one of the escaped monkeys on their property that same morning. They reported that the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks took charge of the animal, but did not share additional information.

Before heading outside, Bond-Ferguson had called the police, who advised her to keep an eye on the monkey. However, she hesitated, concerned that if it got away, it could endanger nearby children. “If it attacked someone’s child and I could have prevented it, that’s on me,” she said, highlighting her fears about the risks of having the monkey running around while kids played outdoors.

A truck carrying 21 rhesus macaques had overturned on Interstate 59 near Heidelberg, initiating a search that lasted several days for the escaped monkeys. According to officials from Tulane University, which houses some of the monkeys at their research center, 13 were safely recaptured at the crash site, while unfortunately, five individuals died during the operation to recollect them, and three were initially unaccounted for until one was discovered by a local resident.

Officials from Tulane clarified that the monkeys were not university property and that they were not transported by university personnel. The sheriff emphasized that previous reports from the truck’s occupants stressed that the monkeys were dangerous and could potentially spread diseases. However, Tulane later confirmed that this particular monkey had recently been examined medically and was not carrying any pathogens.

Despite the clarity on health status, Sheriff Randy Johnson pointed out that authorities still regarded the remaining monkeys as a threat due to their aggressive behavior, stating that they needed to be “neutralized.” As for the other two escaped monkeys, details about their status remain uncertain.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol continues to investigate the cause of the truck accident, which took place approximately 100 miles from Jackson, the state capital.