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Mississippi woman kills escaped monkey fearing for her children’s safety

A woman shot one of 21 escaped rhesus monkeys after a truck overturned, fearing the animal's aggression and the risk to her children, officials said.

  • Jessica Bond Ferguson, a 35-year-old mother of five, shot an escaped monkey early Sunday near Heidelberg after the animal had been housed at Tulane University's National Biomedical Research Center and the truck overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59.
  • Local warnings said escaped monkeys carried diseases, Mississippi Department of Wildlife described Rhesus macaques as aggressive needing neutralization, while Tulane University clarified it did not own them and confirmed they were pathogen-free Wednesday.
  • Bond Ferguson said her 16-year-old son alerted her early Sunday, she called police before going outside and saw the monkey about 60 feet away, citing concern for neighborhood children.
  • The Jasper County Sheriff's Office confirmed a homeowner encountered a monkey and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks took possession, with five killed and three remaining loose before Sunday.
  • Investigators say the Mississippi Highway Patrol is probing a crash about 100 miles from Jackson amid confusion about monkey ownership; of 21 monkeys in the truck, 13 were recovered last week, and Tulane University animal care experts assisted, noting rhesus monkeys weigh about 16 pounds.
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The Virginian PilotThe Virginian Pilot
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Mississippi mother kills escaped monkey fearing for her children’s safety

By MIKE SCHNEIDER One of the monkeys that escaped last week after a truck overturned on a Mississippi highway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children. Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out of bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellph…

·Norfolk, United States
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Associated Press News broke the news in United States on Sunday, November 2, 2025.
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