Residents of Heidelberg, Mississippi, were on edge after a truck transporting rhesus monkeys overturned on Interstate 59, releasing more than twenty animals into nearby neighborhoods. While most locals were alarmed but distant, for one mother, the danger hit close to home.
Early Sunday morning, Jessica Bond Ferguson, 35, was making breakfast for her five children when her 16-year-old son ran in, pale and shaking, reporting movement by the fence. Looking outside, Ferguson saw a rhesus monkey staring at her house. With her children inside, she acted fast — grabbing her phone and a legally registered firearm, she fired a warning shot. The monkey backed off, then fled.
Police and wildlife officials later captured the animal safely. Ferguson’s quick thinking sparked local debate, with some praising her bravery and others questioning her use of a gun. She stood by her decision: protecting her kids came first.
The monkeys had escaped three days earlier when a transport truck carrying 21 rhesus macaques from Tulane University to Georgia overturned. Thirteen were recovered immediately, five died, and three were unaccounted for until incidents like Ferguson’s. Tulane confirmed the animals were medically cleared and not carrying diseases.
Experts warned that rhesus macaques, though intelligent and social, can become aggressive under stress. Ferguson had no time to consider nuances — she only saw a potential threat to her children.
Since the crash, residents reported sightings, schools restricted outdoor activities, and authorities patrolled neighborhoods. By Sunday, all animals had been accounted for. The incident has prompted discussions about wildlife transport safety and emergency preparedness in rural areas.
For Ferguson, the day reinforced a parent’s instinct to act. “It was real life in our backyard,” she said. “Any parent would’ve done the same.”