A monkey on the loose met his end at the hands of a Mississippi mother concerned about her children’s safety.
The Rhesus monkey had escaped from a truck that overturned on a highway last week.
After fatally shooting at the primate, Jessica Bond Ferguson said she merely did what any parent would do to protect their children.
A monkey on the loose met his end at the hands of a Mississippi mother concerned about her children’s safety
Image credits: Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi
It was Jessica’s 16-year-old son who alerted her about the rogue monkey lurking in the yard of their Heidelberg, Mississippi, home on Sunday, November 2.
The mother jumped out of bed, then grabbed an armed weapon and her cellphone before marching outside to find the creature.
Image credits: ScottyRayReport
Jessica knew that there were monkeys on the loose after a truck transporting 21 Rhesus monkeys flipped over on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg on October 28.
Of the 21 monkeys that survived the crash, 13 of them were transported to the intended destination.
However, after it was erroneously claimed that the primates were infected with COVID, herpes, and hepatitis C, authorities shot down five of the monkeys while hunting for them.
One of the monkeys that escaped from the overturned truck had wandered into Jessica Bond Ferguson’s yard
Image credits: ScottyRayReport
Three other monkeys remained on the loose until one of them wandered into Jessica’s yard.
She stepped out of her house on Sunday to find the monkey 60 feet (18 meters) away from her home, where her five children, between the ages of 4 to 16, were living with her.
Image credits: ScottyRayReport
The professional chef said she pulled the trigger on the monkey more than once for the sake of her kids.
“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” she told AP News. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”
The mother of five said she pulled the trigger on the monkey to protect her kids
Image credits: ScottyRayReport
Jessica said she had called the police right before going out to the yard and was told to watch the primate. But she said she shot the animal because she was worried it would get away and harm other children.
“If it attacked somebody’s kid, and I could have stopped it, that would be a lot on me,” she told the outlet. “It’s kind of scary and dangerous that they are running around, and people have kids playing in their yards.”
Image credits: ScottyRayReport
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said the monkey was later handled by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
The monkeys were being housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations.
However, the university said it did not own the monkeys that were being transported to another location last week when the truck overturned.
It was initially claimed that the monkeys were infected with COVID, herpes, and hepatitis C
Image credits: Associated Press
The university later confirmed that it was not responsible for the monkeys’ transportation.
They also confirmed that the monkeys were not carriers of any infectious disease, contrary to what was initially reported.
The “primates in question were not carrying any diseases and had received recent checkups confirming that they were pathogen-free,” the university said in a statement.
Image credits: ScottyRayReport
It was erroneously believed that the monkeys had diseases after two occupants inside the overturned truck contacted their supervisor, who claimed they needed to be handled with protective gear because they were infected with COVID, herpes, and hepatitis C.
Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson told TMZ that the five located monkeys were “destroyed” because the supervisor also claimed the monkeys were “aggravated” and “aggressive” toward people.
Authorities later confirmed that the monkeys were not carriers of any kind of disease
Image credits: Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi
Rhesus monkeys are primates known for their ability to adapt to different environments. Because of their close evolutionary relationship to humans, they are often researched to understand diseases and develop medications or vaccinations.
Netizens were left divided over the incident, with some taking the mother’s side and saying, “Now that’s motherly love.”
Image credits: ScottyRayReport
“What else was she supposed to do?!?!” another asked.
“Monkeys can rip your face off, she’s a hero,” one said.
On the other hand, one wrote, “Poor thing, was probably so scared and was seeking out humans because that’s what it was raised by.”
Social media users were left divided after the incident
Image credits: Associated Press
“It was in her backyard, her kids obviously werent. All she had to do was make sure her doors and windows are closed and stay inside,” said another. “It wouldn’t have tried to break into her house to get to her children ffs.”
“So you’re 16-year-old son tells you there’s a monkey outside, and instead of calling and reporting the missing monkey you decide to shoot the animal who was far away from you and not bothering anyone,” one said. “Alrighty then.”
“Turns out the monkeys never had herpes covid and diseases,” read one comment online
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