Monkey Shot and Killed by Homeowner in Mississippi

A shocking incident unfolded in Mississippi as a monkey, one of two that escaped from a truck, was shot and killed by a homeowner who feared for her children's safety. Jessica Bond Ferguson, a mother of five, had been warned about the diseases carried by the Rhesus monkeys, which had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans. When she spotted the monkey in her yard, she took matters into her own hands, shooting it twice before it fell.

Key Takeaways:

• The incident occurred on a Sunday morning, when a homeowner, Jessica Bond Ferguson, spotted a monkey in her yard near Heidelberg, Mississippi.
• The monkey was one of two Rhesus monkeys that had escaped from a truck that overturned on a Mississippi roadway.
• The homeowner had been warned about the diseases carried by the monkeys, which had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans.
• Ferguson shot the monkey twice before it fell, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey.
• The monkeys had been provided to scientific research organizations, but in a statement, Tulane University clarified that the monkeys did not belong to the university and were not being transported by the university.
• The incident highlights the concerns surrounding animal escapes and the risks they pose to public safety.

Statistics:

• 2: The number of Rhesus monkeys that escaped from the truck.
• 5: The number of children in Jessica Bond Ferguson's household.
• 16: The age of Ferguson's son who first spotted the monkey.
• 60 feet: The distance between Ferguson and the monkey when she first saw it.
• 2: The number of times Ferguson shot the monkey before it fell.

Sources:

• Associated Press, "Mississippi Monkey Escape"
• Tulane University statement, DA-19-0247
• Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Social media post