Mississippi homeowner shoots escaped rhesus macaque after I-59 crash

A Mississippi homeowner shot and killed one of several rhesus macaques that escaped last week after a transport truck overturned on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg, authorities said. The encounter occurred early Sunday when the woman, Jessica Bond Ferguson, said her 16 year old son alerted her to a monkey in their yard; she told investigators she fired because she feared for her children’s safety.

The truck was carrying 21 rhesus macaques being transferred from a primate facility in Louisiana to a research site in Florida when it left the roadway and overturned near mile marker 117, Jasper County authorities said. Video from the scene showed wooden crates labeled live animals scattered beside the highway and several monkeys moving through tall grass. Initial on-scene reports said multiple animals escaped when some cages were damaged.

Local law enforcement and wildlife officials initially advised the public to avoid the animals after the truck driver told deputies the monkeys were infected and aggressive. Authorities said they acted on those reports, and during the first day of response five escaped monkeys were euthanized and 13 animals were recovered and later transported to...