Mississippi Mom Shoots Escaped Research Monkey After Truck Crash
One of the monkeys that escaped last week after a truck carrying research animals overturned on a Mississippi highway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for her children’s safety. According…
One of the monkeys that escaped last week after a truck carrying research animals overturned on a Mississippi highway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for her children’s safety.
According to The Associated Press, Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was woken by her 16-year-old son, who believed he saw a monkey in the yard of their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She grabbed her gun and phone before stepping outside, where she spotted the animal about 60 feet away.
Bond Ferguson said residents had been warned that the escaped monkeys could carry diseases — so she fired.
“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond Ferguson, who has five children ages 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a homeowner found one of the monkeys Sunday morning but offered no additional details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks later took possession of the animal.
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