In a concerning incident in Mississippi, one of the Rhesus monkeys that escaped after a truck overturned on a highway was shot and killed by a local resident, Jessica Bond Ferguson, on Sunday morning. Ferguson, who is a mother of five, responded to her son’s alert about a possible monkey sighting in their yard near Heidelberg, Mississippi.
Upon seeing the monkey approximately 60 feet away, Ferguson armed herself with a firearm due to prior warnings that the escaped monkeys could carry diseases. She felt compelled to protect her children and decided to take action. She recounted her experience, stating, "I did what any other mother would do to protect her children," and described how she fired shots at the animal after it did not react to the first shot.
The local law enforcement, specifically the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed that a homeowner had reported the presence of one of the escaped monkeys. They stated that the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks later took possession of the deceased monkey. Ferguson mentioned that she had initially called the police to inform them about the situation and was advised to keep an eye on the monkey. However, her concern for the safety of children in the area prompted her to act before more incidents could occur.
The Rhesus monkeys had originally been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Recently, a truck carrying these monkeys overturned on Interstate 59, resulting in a chaotic scene where many monkeys escaped. Out of the 21 monkeys involved in the incident, 13 were reported collected from the accident scene and reached their destination safely, while a total of five were killed during the ensuing search for the escapees. Prior to Sunday, three monkeys remained at large.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol is currently investigating the accident, which took place approximately 100 miles from Jackson, the state capital. Residents were made aware that Rhesus monkeys can be aggressive, and there were concerns about potential health risks due to the animals' reported behavior. Although Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson stated that Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, he also emphasized that the animals needed to be "neutralized" due to their aggressive nature.
In a related context, this incident comes about a year after another escape of 43 Rhesus macaques from a breeding facility in South Carolina, highlighting ongoing challenges in the handling and transportation of these animals used for medical research. Given the aggressive reputation of Rhesus macaques and their previous escapes, the public remains on high alert regarding this latest incident in Mississippi.
The overarching narrative of this incident reveals heightened concerns over wildlife management, public safety, and the ethical implications of using animals in research. It also raises questions about the procedures for transporting such animals and the responsibilities of institutions involved in their care and research.
