A chilling encounter unfolded in rural Mississippi early Sunday morning when a mother shot and killed one of the escaped research monkeys. Jessica Bond Ferguson acted swiftly, driven by a primal fear for her children’s safety.
Awakened by her 16-year-old son, who reported a monkey in their yard near Heidelberg, Ferguson grabbed her firearm and cellphone. Stepping outside, she confronted the animal approximately 60 feet away, a tense standoff in the pre-dawn darkness.
The decision to fire wasn’t taken lightly. Ferguson explained she and other residents had been warned about potential diseases carried by the escaped primates. “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” she stated, recounting the moment the monkey fell after a second shot.
Authorities confirmed a homeowner had encountered a monkey, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the animal’s remains. The incident adds a tragic layer to the ongoing search following a highway crash.
The monkeys originated from the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, a facility that routinely supplies primates for scientific study. However, Tulane clarified the monkeys were not owned by the university and were not being transported by them at the time of the accident.
The crisis began Tuesday when a truck carrying 21 monkeys overturned on Interstate 59. Most perished in the crash, but authorities initially believed three had escaped into the surrounding countryside. The scene was chaotic, with wooden crates labeled “live animals” scattered along the highway.
Despite initial warnings from the truck’s occupants about potential dangers and diseases, Tulane officials asserted the monkeys had recently undergone health checks and were pathogen-free. However, the Jasper County Sheriff maintained the animals posed a threat due to their aggressive nature and needed to be “neutralized.”
This incident echoes a similar event from a year prior in South Carolina, where 43 Rhesus macaques escaped due to an unlocked enclosure at a research facility. The monkeys are known for their aggressive behavior, a characteristic that fueled the urgency of the Mississippi search.
Tulane’s history includes a previous “biosecurity breach” a decade ago, resulting in the euthanasia of three monkeys due to staff failing to follow proper safety protocols. The facility subsequently implemented procedural changes and retraining programs.
Rhesus monkeys, typically weighing around 16 pounds, are extensively used in medical research worldwide. Their escape and the subsequent events highlight the complex intersection of scientific research, animal welfare, and public safety.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol continues to investigate the cause of the initial truck crash, while authorities grapple with the aftermath of this unsettling episode and the lingering presence of potentially escaped animals.
