Last week, a truck carrying a group of Rhesus monkeys overturned on a highway in Mississippi, leading to several of the monkeys escaping into the surrounding area. The incident has since prompted a search for the escaped animals, heightened safety concerns among local residents, and ultimately resulted in one of the monkeys being shot and killed by a homeowner.
The crash occurred on Interstate 59, north of Heidelberg, Mississippi, when a truck transporting 21 Rhesus monkeys overturned. Authorities confirmed that most of the monkeys on board died as a result of the accident. However, three monkeys reportedly escaped from the wreckage and were at large in the area. The Mississippi Highway Patrol has been investigating the cause of the crash, which happened roughly 100 miles from the state capital, Jackson.
The monkeys had been in transit from a biomedical research facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. Specifically, the Rhesus monkeys originated from the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center, a facility that routinely provides primates to scientific research organizations. Although the monkeys were housed at Tulane, university officials clarified that the animals do not belong to Tulane and that the university was not responsible for their transportation at the time of the accident.
Following the crash, local authorities and wildlife officials launched efforts to locate the escaped monkeys. These animals, which typically weigh around 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms), are known for their aggressive behavior, which has fueled concerns about public safety in the area. Despite initial warnings from the truck’s occupants suggesting the monkeys carried dangerous diseases, Tulane University and local law enforcement later confirmed that the monkeys had recently undergone health checkups and were found to be free of pathogens.
Nevertheless, officials emphasized the need to “neutralize” the escaped monkeys due to their aggressive nature and the potential risk they posed to residents. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks has been actively involved in the search for the animals, working alongside sheriff’s deputies to locate and safely capture the monkeys.
The situation escalated early Sunday morning when a local woman, Jessica Bond Ferguson, shot and killed one of the escaped monkeys outside her home near Heidelberg. Ferguson, a mother of five children aged between 4 and 16, said she was alerted by her 16-year-old son, who thought he had seen a monkey running in their yard. Concerned for her family’s safety and aware of the warnings about diseases the monkeys might carry, she armed herself and went outside to investigate.
Ferguson described the encounter with the monkey, explaining that she fired multiple shots when the animal failed to flee immediately. “I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” she told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that's when he fell.” The monkey was approximately 60 feet away from her home when she fired.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the incident in a social media post, acknowledging that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property that morning. While the sheriff’s office provided limited details, they confirmed that the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks had taken possession of the deceased monkey for further examination.
The escaped monkeys have sparked serious concern among residents throughout Jasper County and surrounding areas. Rhesus macaques are known for their territorial and sometimes aggressive behavior, which can pose a threat to humans, especially children. Local authorities have been working diligently to track down the remaining escaped monkeys to prevent any further incidents.
This is not the first time Rhesus macaques have caused alarm after escaping captivity in the southeastern United States. Approximately one year ago, 43 Rhesus macaques escaped from a breeding compound in Yemassee, South Carolina, after an employee failed to properly secure their enclosure. Similar to the current situation in Mississippi, efforts were quickly launched to recapture the escaped animals, including the use of traps set by facility staff.
Historically, the Tulane National Primate Research Center, where these monkeys were housed, has faced challenges related to biosecurity. About a decade ago, a biosecurity breach led to the euthanization of three Rhesus macaques after federal inspectors found that at least one staff member had not adhered to proper infection control procedures. Since then, the facility has implemented procedural changes and retrained staff to prevent similar incidents.
In the aftermath of the truck crash and monkey escape, local officials have been keen to reassure the public. Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson stated that