A Mississippi mother of five, Jessica Bond Ferguson, shot and killed a rhesus monkey on her property near Heidelberg after it escaped from a truck transporting primates. The incident occurred soon after her 16-year-old son alerted her to the animal in the yard.
The truck, carrying 21 monkeys to a research facility, overturned on Interstate 59, freeing several primates; authorities had warned residents of possible danger. Though the monkeys were later declared pathogen-free, Ferguson said she acted out of fear for her children’s safety before officers arrived.
The local sheriff’s office and the state wildlife department took custody of the monkey, and three others remained missing as the search continued. The crash and its aftermath have prompted a review of animal-transport protocols and neighborhood safety around escaped research animals.