A Mississippi mother recently recounted how she ended up shooting and killing a monkey that had escaped following a truck accident, citing concerns for her children’s safety and the neighborhood’s well-being.

Jessica Bond Ferguson shared with The Associated Press that she had been in bed when her 16-year-old son noticed a monkey darting across the yard of their Heidelberg home. Reacting quickly, Bond Ferguson grabbed her phone and a gun before heading outside, where she spotted the monkey about 60 feet away.

Bond Ferguson, who is a 35-year-old chef, explained that she fired the gun to protect her children from potential danger.

“Like any mother, I acted to safeguard my kids,” expressed Bond Ferguson. “I shot at the monkey, it didn’t move, so I fired again. It backed up, and then it dropped.”

In a related image, an escaped monkey is captured sitting in the grass on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in Heidelberg, Mississippi. (Photo courtesy of Scotty Ray Report)

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Sunday that a homeowner found one of the escaped monkeys on their property that morning. In a social media post, the sheriff’s office said the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks had taken custody of the animal but offered no further details.

Before Bond Ferguson stepped outside, she said she called police and was told to keep an eye on the monkey. But she hesitated, worried that if it got away, it could pose a threat to children at a nearby home.

Debris was seen near the scene of the Mississippi crash, as authorities tracked down the animals on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Heidelberg, Miss.  (Photo courtesy of Scotty Ray Report)

“If it attacked somebody’s kid, and I could have stopped it, that would be a lot on me,” said Bond Ferguson. “It’s kind of scary and dangerous that they are running around, and people have kids playing in their yards.”

A truck transporting 21 Rhesus monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 near Heidelberg, Mississippi, setting off a dayslong search for the escaped animals.

According to Tulane University, 13 monkeys were located at the crash site and successfully transported to their intended destination last week. Five were killed during the search effort, while three remained unaccounted for until one was recovered Sunday by a homeowner, officials said.

Two Rehsus monkeys remain on the loose as of Monday, with authorities cautioning residents the primates are “aggressive.” (Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi)

The monkeys were housed at the Tulane National Primate Research Center in New Orleans, which supplies primates to scientific research organizations. In a statement, Tulane clarified that the animals were not owned by the university, nor were they being transported by university personnel.

Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson said initial reports from the truck’s occupants warned that the monkeys were dangerous and potentially carried diseases. However, Tulane officials later confirmed the monkeys had recently received health screenings and were pathogen-free.

People in protective clothing search along a highway in Heidelberg, Miss., Wednesday, near the site of an overturned truck that was carrying research monkeys. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates)

Despite that, Johnson noted that authorities still considered the animals a threat due to their aggressive nature and stated they needed to be “neutralized.”

The status of the two remaining at-large monkeys was unclear as of the latest update.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles from Jackson, the state capital.