Mississippi woman shoots escaped monkey, citing concern for children’s safety

A Mississippi woman shot and killed an escaped monkey near her home, saying she acted out of fear for her children’s safety after reports circulated that the animals might carry diseases, the Associated Press reported.

Jessica Bond Ferguson of Heidelberg told the Associated Press that she was awakened early Sunday by her 16-year-old son, who said he had seen a monkey outside. She said she took her phone and a firearm outside and spotted the animal about 60 feet away before firing.

«I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,» said Bond Ferguson, who has five children aged 4 to 16.

The monkey was one of several rhesus macaques that escaped after a truck transporting 21 monkeys overturned last Tuesday on Interstate 59. The animals were being moved to a research facility, according to Tulane University, but were not owned by the university.

Authorities recovered 13 monkeys from the crash. Five were killed during search efforts, and three were still missing before Sunday’s incident. According to Sheriff Randy Johnson, the monkeys were not infectious but were still dangerous and needed to be «neutralized» because of their aggressive behavior.