In brief
In Heidelberg, Mississippi, a local homeowner, Jessica Bond Ferguson, shot and killed an escaped monkey that was one of several that had fled after a truck overturned. Concerned for her children, she acted in self-defense as the escaped primate posed a potential health risk due to zoonotic diseases. Authorities later confirmed the incident and recovered the monkey's remains.
HEIDELBERG, Miss. (FlashPoint) — In a concerning incident in Heidelberg, a local homeowner, Jessica Bond Ferguson, shot dead a monkey that had escaped from a truck carrying research primates from Tulane University.
Ferguson reported her 16-year-old son alerted her to a monkey seen in their yard, prompting her to act quickly for the safety of her five children ranging from ages 4 to 16. After retrieving her firearm, Ferguson shot at the monkey out of fear of potential diseases it might carry, stating, I did what any other mother would do to protect her children. A subsequent social media confirmation from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office highlighted the retrieval of the monkey's remains by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
The primates involved were part of a shipment from the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center, which is known for conducting animal research but clarified that these monkeys were not under the university's care at the time. The incident has raised questions about the safety protocols surrounding the transport of research animals and the potential risks to local communities.
