Escaped monkeys from Mississippi truck crash puts spotlight on NIH-funded Tulane lab
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A week after a truck accident in Mississippi, officials have reported that a second monkey, which had escaped, was shot and killed.

Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson confirmed that a resident shot the monkey after spotting it on a highway on Monday. The animal was found approximately a mile away from where 21 rhesus monkeys had initially escaped following a truck crash in Heidelberg, Mississippi.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks issued a statement revealing that one monkey is still missing. The incident on October 28 led to eight monkeys escaping from the overturned vehicle, with five recaptured at the crash site.

On Sunday, another monkey was killed by a concerned mother who believed it could endanger her children and neighbors.

One monkey escapee was photographed after the crash. It is unclear if it was one of the five "eliminated" by authorities.

Following the accident, one of the escaped monkeys was captured in a photograph. (Image provided by Scotty Ray Report)

Jessica Bond Ferguson told the Associated Press she was in bed when her 16-year-old son told her there was a monkey running through their yard.

Ferguson, who has five children, got her gun and shot the monkey, who was about 60 feet away.

“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Ferguson said. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”

Debris was seen near the scene of the Mississippi crash, as authorities tracked down the animals.

Debris was seen near the scene of the Mississippi crash, as authorities tracked down the animals. (Photo courtesy of Scotty Ray Report)

The mother said she feared for her kids and other children in the community.

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

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a homeowner found one of the monkeys on their property, adding that the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took custody of the animal, but didn’t provide additional details.

Monkeys could be seen next to crates after the crash, which left five animals dead.

Monkeys could be seen next to crates after the crash, which left five animals dead. (Photo courtesy of Scotty Ray Report)

The truck carrying 21 rhesus monkeys overturned on Oct. 28 on Interstate 59, triggering what would become a search that has lasted over a week.

The monkeys came from the Tulane National Primate Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which gives primates to scientific research organizations. Tulane said the monkeys weren’t owned by the university and personnel from the institution weren’t transporting them.

People wearing protective clothing search along a highway in Heidelberg, Miss., on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, near the site of an overturned truck that was carrying research monkeys.

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)

Johnson initially said the monkeys potentially carried diseases, but university officials later confirmed the monkeys were pathogen-free.

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