Mother Shoots Escaped Monkey After Seeing it Near Her Home
A 35-year-old mother of five in Mississippi took drastic action after seeing one of the escaped monkeys near her home. On Sunday morning, Jessica Bond Ferguson heard her 16-year-old son's cries of alarm as he spotted a monkey running through their yard. She immediately grabbed her firearm and rushed outside to find the animal about 60 feet away.
Ferguson claimed she was afraid for her children's safety and took swift action, firing her gun at the monkey twice before it fell dead. When asked why she didn't try to capture or sedate the animal instead of shooting it, Ferguson said "I did what any other mother would do to protect her children."
The incident occurred after a truck carrying 21 Rhesus monkeys overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg last week. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife had warned residents that the escaped monkeys carried diseases and could pose a threat to public health.
While Ferguson's actions may have seemed extreme, they were motivated by her fear for her children's safety. However, experts say that shooting an animal should be a last resort and that other methods should be considered first.
The Rhesus macaques are one of the most medically studied animals in the world and weigh about 16 pounds. They are known to be aggressive and were being transported by a truck hired by the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
After the incident, Ferguson was left to deal with the aftermath, which included a visit from local authorities who confirmed that she had acted lawfully. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife also took possession of one of the remaining escaped monkeys.
A 35-year-old mother of five in Mississippi took drastic action after seeing one of the escaped monkeys near her home. On Sunday morning, Jessica Bond Ferguson heard her 16-year-old son's cries of alarm as he spotted a monkey running through their yard. She immediately grabbed her firearm and rushed outside to find the animal about 60 feet away.
Ferguson claimed she was afraid for her children's safety and took swift action, firing her gun at the monkey twice before it fell dead. When asked why she didn't try to capture or sedate the animal instead of shooting it, Ferguson said "I did what any other mother would do to protect her children."
The incident occurred after a truck carrying 21 Rhesus monkeys overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg last week. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife had warned residents that the escaped monkeys carried diseases and could pose a threat to public health.
While Ferguson's actions may have seemed extreme, they were motivated by her fear for her children's safety. However, experts say that shooting an animal should be a last resort and that other methods should be considered first.
The Rhesus macaques are one of the most medically studied animals in the world and weigh about 16 pounds. They are known to be aggressive and were being transported by a truck hired by the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
After the incident, Ferguson was left to deal with the aftermath, which included a visit from local authorities who confirmed that she had acted lawfully. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife also took possession of one of the remaining escaped monkeys.
I'm kinda worried about this story... I get why Jessica Bond Ferguson was freaked out, her kids are super important to her! 
But, shooting an animal just 'cause it's near your house? That's a big decision, you know? I mean, experts say it should be a last resort. Can't we try to catch or sedate them first? They're not gonna hurt the kids unless they feel threatened, right?
Maybe some noise-making stuff or something. I'm all for keeping our communities safe, but can't we find a more humane solution? 
... shoot 'em yourself? 
Just kidding! Ferguson's fear is real tho, but isn't shooting a last resort tho? 
They're gonna do whatever they gotta do to protect their kiddos 
. Guess you just gotta weigh the risks & consequences 
That's gotta be super scary for anyone to have to do. And can you blame them? Those monkeys are like, 16 pounds of furry fury 
. The fact that those monkeys were being transported for medical research and all makes me wanna know more about it... like, what's the deal with the Rhesus macaques?! 
In my day, we'd just, like, try to shoo 'em away or something. I'm pretty sure our grandparents didn't have to deal with escaped primates running around their yards either... 
Remember when you could just let your kids play outside without worrying about some wild animal ruining the fun? 
This is just wild... like what do you even do when a monkey breaks into your yard?! I mean, I get it, safety first and all, but shooting it? That's just a lot to take in. I feel bad for the kid who saw the monkey first, poor dude must've had some trauma or something. And what about the monkey itself? Like, did it even know it was in danger?! It seems so extreme that I'm surprised more people don't speak out against Ferguson's actions. Can't we just try to peacefully coexist with wildlife instead of resorting to violence?!