Residents of Heidelberg, Mississippi, were alarmed after a

truck carrying rhesus monkeys overturned on Interstate 59,

releasing several animals into neighborhoods.

Mother Protects Family

For Jessica Bond Ferguson, the situation became personal when a monkey appeared near her home

“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,”she told the Associated Press.

Armed and acting quickly, she said, “If it attacked somebody’s kid, and I could have stopped it — that would have been on me.”

Animal Recovery

Officials confirmed one monkey was secured at Ferguson’s home.

Of the twenty-one monkeys that escaped, thirteen were recovered, five died, and three were unaccounted for.

Though not infectious, authorities warned they were still unsafe due to their unpredictable nature.

Community Reaction

The incident highlighted the risks of escaped wildlife and emergency preparedness in small towns.

Ferguson admitted, “It’s scary… you never expect something like this to happen here.”