UPDATE: A Mississippi mother shot and killed an escaped monkey early Sunday morning, fearing for her children’s safety. Jessica Bond Ferguson, 35, was alerted by her 16-year-old son around 6:00 AM when he spotted the animal in their yard near Heidelberg, Mississippi.
Ferguson quickly grabbed her firearm and stepped outside, where she encountered the monkey approximately 60 feet away. Residents had been warned that the escaped monkeys could carry diseases, prompting her to act. “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.”
The incident follows a truck accident on October 24, 2025, which resulted in the escape of 21 Rhesus monkeys on Interstate 59. Local authorities confirmed that the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey after Ferguson’s encounter.
Why This Matters: The escape of these monkeys has raised serious safety concerns among residents. Ferguson expressed her fears of potential attacks, stating, “If it attacked somebody’s kid, and I could have stopped it, that would be a lot on me.” With five children aged 4 to 16, her protective instincts kicked in, highlighting the urgent need for community safety amid the ongoing search for the remaining escaped monkeys.
After the truck overturned, officials found 13 monkeys at the scene, while another five were killed in the search efforts. As of Sunday, three monkeys remained on the loose, prompting heightened caution among local families. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to monitor the situation, urging residents to remain vigilant.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office confirmed that the monkeys had previously undergone checkups that indicated they were pathogen-free. However, concerns lingered about their potentially aggressive behavior. Sheriff Randy Johnson noted that the monkeys needed to be “neutralized” due to their nature.
The Rhesus monkeys involved in this incident had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center. Tulane clarified that the monkeys did not belong to them and were not being transported by the university.
This alarming event comes just a year after a similar incident in South Carolina, where 43 Rhesus macaques escaped from a breeding facility due to human error. Such escapes have raised significant concerns about the safety of both the public and the animals involved.
Next Steps: Local residents are advised to stay alert as authorities continue their search for the remaining escaped monkeys. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the truck crash’s cause, emphasizing the importance of community safety in light of these incidents.
As this story develops, it underscores the urgent need for awareness around wildlife safety and the potential risks posed by escaped animals in populated areas.
