When Jessica Bond Ferguson looked out her back door early Sunday morning and saw a Rhesus macaque pacing near her yard in Heidelberg, Mississippi, she didn’t think — she reacted.
The 35-year-old mother of five had heard the warnings all week: several lab monkeys were still on the loose after a transport truck overturned on Interstate 59. Authorities cautioned residents to keep their distance. But when one of the missing monkeys appeared within sight of her children, Ferguson says her “mother’s instinct” left her no choice.
“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Ferguson told TMZ in a video posted to Instagram. “I hate that it happened that way. But I’m gonna protect my kids at all costs.”
She fired twice, hitting the monkey on her second shot.
A Rural Town on Edge
The escaped animal was among 21 monkeys bound for a research facility when their transport truck crashed, scattering crates along the highway. Local wildlife officers and police launched a search, but by the weekend, at least three monkeys remained missing.
Ferguson said she had called local authorities before acting, but help never arrived.
“If they wanted us to do something else, they should’ve had a search team out,” she told TMZ. “They could’ve had drones flying around… Nobody was looking for these monkeys at all.”
Within hours, her story went viral — sparking a heated debate that’s as much about maternal instinct and public safety as it is about animal ethics and the oversight of scientific research.
The Backstory: A Crash With Lasting Consequences
According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the monkey Ferguson shot was one of the last unaccounted-for animals from the overturned transport truck. Authorities confirmed its body was recovered and turned over to wildlife officials.
The remaining monkeys had either been recaptured, killed in the crash, or reached their destination safely.
In a statement, Tulane University — which had been linked to the transport through online speculation — clarified that the animals were not part of its research programs. Officials said the monkeys had recently undergone health screenings and were disease-free.
Still, wildlife experts warned that Rhesus macaques are unpredictable under stress and can become territorial or aggressive, especially when disoriented in unfamiliar surroundings.
Public Reaction: A Debate Over Instinct and Oversight
Ferguson’s decision has divided opinion across Mississippi and beyond. Many residents hailed her as a protective mother acting in self-defense, while animal advocates condemned the shooting as unnecessary.
“This wasn’t a wild monkey from the woods — it was a stressed lab animal in an unfamiliar environment,” one wildlife expert noted. “It was dangerous for everyone involved, including the animal.”
Social media, meanwhile, turned the rural mother into an unlikely national figure — with some calling her “Mama Bear Ferguson” and others criticizing authorities for letting the situation reach her doorstep.
“Why were there still monkeys missing after days?” one user asked. “That should’ve never been on a mom to handle.”
A Deeper Issue: When Science Meets the Public
Beyond the sensational headlines, the incident underscores a broader, uncomfortable truth: the risks communities face when research animals are transported through populated areas.
Each year, thousands of animals are shipped across the United States for medical and scientific purposes. While regulations exist, accidents are not uncommon, and rural regions often lack the resources or training to respond when they happen.
The ethical question — who bears responsibility when something goes wrong — lingers long after the last crate is recovered.
For Ferguson, the debate means little compared to the moment she lived through.
“I just wish it didn’t have to happen,” she said. “Nobody wants their child to get sick or hurt. But no one was looking for those monkeys. I did what I had to do.”
The investigation into the truck crash and the monkey escapes is ongoing, according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. For now, Ferguson says she’s just trying to move on — grateful her children are safe, and hoping the ordeal sparks a conversation about prevention.
“I wish they’d taken better measures,” she said. “Because no mom should ever be in that position again.”
