The story covers a Mississippi mother who encountered escaped rhesus monkeys after a truck crash and shot one she believed posed an immediate threat to her children, how authorities and Tulane University responded, and the local search and recovery efforts that followed.
A Mississippi mother says she acted to protect her family when she encountered a loose rhesus monkey near her home days after a big rig crash released several primates. Her son alerted her to an animal in the yard, and she moved quickly to find the creature and call authorities. The escape set off a large local response and widespread concern among residents about safety. Early reports suggested the animals might carry diseases, which heightened that fear.
The mother, Jessica Bond Ferguson, told reporters she did not hesitate once she saw the animal roughly 60 feet from her house. She said she grabbed her gun and her phone, called law enforcement, and tracked the monkey. “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Ferguson said after the encounter. Her account emphasizes the instinct to act when children are at risk.
Ferguson described the moment she fired: “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.” She later explained her decision by saying, “If it attacked somebody’s kid, and I could have stopped it, that would be a lot on me.” Those words reflect a parent weighing immediate action against waiting for authorities in a tense situation.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office posted that a homeowner found one of the animals on their property and that wildlife officials took custody of that monkey. Local officials confirmed the truck was carrying rhesus monkeys, and that many of the animals had been scattered by the crash. During the search effort, several were recovered at the scene and others were found elsewhere, while a few remained unaccounted for during the initial days after the wreck.
Tulane University released a statement clarifying the health risk and their involvement, noting the animals were not infectious and belong to another entity that provides primates for research. The university said it was working with local authorities and would send animal care experts to assist as needed. That clarification helped calm some of the early panic about diseases. The statement focused on collaboration and animal welfare in the recovery process.
Authorities later reported numbers related to the recovery: several monkeys were located at the crash site and transported to their intended destination, five were killed during search operations, and a handful were recovered by homeowners or found in the area. That tally underlined the chaotic nature of the incident and the difficulty of tracking mobile animals across rural terrain. Officials described the animals as having an aggressive tendency when stressed, which informed guidance that escaped primates might need to be neutralized if they posed a threat.
Community reaction mixed relief and frustration as people learned more and local leaders worked to secure the remaining animals. Some residents supported the mother’s quick decision, saying steps were necessary to protect children playing in yards. Others questioned the split-second choices people must make when wildlife and safety collide. The incident sparked conversations about how to handle similar emergencies in the future.
At the time of the latest updates, officials had not located two of the escaped animals, and searches continued as wildlife and law enforcement coordinated. Local agencies emphasized public safety and asked residents to report sightings while avoiding direct contact with the animals. The situation highlighted both the unpredictability of escaped wildlife events and the pressure on families and first responders when a threat appears close to home.
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